Feb. 23. The NC Dept. of Health & Human Services today reported 2,123 people hospitalized statewide due to COVID—down 4 percent in a single day. The NCDHHS also reported 94 new COVID-related deaths statewide, two of them in Mecklenburg County.

Today’s new case volume was 3,470, the highest so far this week, but still 43 percent below the 6,079 new cases NCDHHS recorded on Wednesday last week.

Testing

The NCDHHS said the statewide positivity rate was 9 percent; the Mecklenburg 14-day average was 12.2 percent. It’s the first time the state positivity rate has been under 10 percent since Dec. 20.

Mecklenburg (change from Tuesday)

There were 288 new COVID cases reported countywide and 2 new deaths.

North Mecklenburg (change from Tuesday)

• Cornelius: 8 new cases, 6,655 cumulative total, 34 deaths cumulative total.

• Davidson: 3 new cases, 4,026 cumulative total, 21 deaths cumulative total.

• Huntersville: 15 new cases, 15,080 cumulative total, 89 deaths cumulative total.