NCDHHS SECRETARY COHEN AT NOV. 23 PRESS CONFERENCE
Dec. 6. The NC Dept. of Health & Human Services today reported another startling number of new coronavirus cases, as well as 2,191 hospitalizations and 27 new deaths due to COVID-19.
There were 6,438 new cases of COVID-19 today, according to the NCDHHS. That’s on top of 6,018 new cases yesterday.
The coronavirus is surging, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, NCDHHS secretary.
“This is very worrisome,” she said over the weekend. “We are seeing our highest rates of tests that come back positive despite the fact we are doing a lot of testing. This indicates we have even more viral spread across our state right now.”
At the same time, the NCDHHS is reporting record numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations and patients in the ICU.
Hospitalizations have set daily records for at least a week, hitting 2,191 today, compared to 1,161 on Nov. 6. Cohen expects a wave of new cases 10-plus days after Thanksgiving, so these increases right now are concerning.
New restrictions?
Cohen said the number of new cases, along with a stubbornly high positivity rate of 10.4 percent—up from 6.9 percent one month ago—could mean more COVID-19 restrictions.
“We are looking at what further actions we can take as a state to protect North Carolinians and save lives,” she said.
Executive order expires Friday
Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest executive order, which limits gatherings indoors and out and requires masks in all indoor settings where more than one household is represented, expires on Friday.
COOPER
In Mecklenburg County, positive tests climbed to 8.8 percent, up from 6.4 percent exactly one month ago. Mecklenburg County has been a “hot spot” off and on during the pandemic with breweries and clubs an ongoing concern, according to Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County health director.
“Large indoor gatherings that involve close personal contact without face coverings have substantial risk of fueling clusters of COVID-19,” she said.
Vaccine coming
North Carolina is expected to receive 85,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which is enough to vaccinate workers at 50 to 60 hospitals statewide, with those who work around COVID-19 patients getting the highest priority, Cohen said. Having a safe vaccine within reach is an extraordinary achievement, but it is not a quick fix. It will take several months to have enough supplies that anyone can readily get a vaccine. “Until most people are vaccinated, it is imperative to keep practicing the 3Ws,” Cohen said.
Testing
More than 5.58 million tests have been completed statewide.
Total cases
Statewide, the cumulative total of COVID-19 cases now stands at 394,990.
Deaths
A total of 5,543 North Carolinians have died of COVID-19 related illness since the outbreak began in March.
There were five new COVID-related deaths between Friday and today in Mecklenburg County, including another new death in Huntersville, where the NCDHHS reported another death on Friday for a total of 17.
Mecklenburg
In Mecklenburg County, there were 784 new cases of COVID-19 in today’s NCDHHS report, a record. The cumulative total since March stands at 46,983. There are two cases among staff at both The Pines in Davidson and AutumnCare in Cornelius.
North Mecklenburg
Cornelius: 24 new cases, 1,056 cumulative; 17 deaths total.
Davidson: 11 new cases, 595 cumulative; 7 deaths total.
Huntersville: 45 new cases, 2,030 cumulative; 17 deaths total.
