Aug. 14. By Dave Yochum. The median number of North Carolina’s new confirmed COVID-19 over the past week is down 28.9 percent compared to the past month. It’s a promising sign, especially when taken into account with local data comparing the same time periods: Mecklenburg County’s new COVID-19 cases are down 24.2 percent. (See chart below.)
The actual numbers, culled from Johns Hopkins University’s tracking system, are 1,711 median monthly vs 1,216 (statewide) and 227 median monthly vs. 172 (Mecklenburg).
Gov. Roy Cooper said the number of cases in the state has stabilized, but they are still too high. In today’s NC Dept. of Health Report, there were 1,346 new cases of COVID-19, down from 1,763 new cases yesterday, but higher than the 1,166 new cases reported on Wednesday. On July 14, just before the volume of new cases seemed to be peaking, NCDHHS reported 1,956 new cases.
Hospitalizations fell from 1,070 in yesterday’s NCDHHS report to 1,049 today. Total deaths reported today rose by 26 to 2,313 statewide. One month ago, there were 1,552 deaths due to COVID-19 statewide.
Data from Johns Hopkins shows 2,296 COVID-19 deaths in Guatemala, 2,042 in Ukraine and 1,082 in Japan.
After being readjusted earlier this week due to a reporting error from LabCorp., statewide tests rose from 1.85 million to 1.877 million. The rate at which tests come back positive is now at 6 percent, according to the NCDHHS report. The state is aiming for 5 percent, and to trend downward from there.
DR. MANDY COHEN
NC Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said hospitalization and death statistics are trailing indicators for tracking COVID-19. As many schools get ready to go back in sessions, she said “progress was fragile.”
In Mecklenburg
Deaths from yesterday to today rose by seven in Mecklenburg County, according to NDHHS data. The total number of COVID-19 cases rose by 47, down from yesterday’s increase of 191 and an increase of 150 on Wednesday.
Positive tests are running at 7 percent in Mecklenburg.
North Meck
Cornelius: 2 new cases, total 373. 16 deaths total, none new in more than a month
Davidson: 1 new case, total 213. 5 deaths total, none new in two weeks
Huntersville: 9 new cases, 678 total. 10 deaths total, none new since Aug. 11
