Aug. 5. Dave Yochum. The state’s median number of new COVID-19 cases over the past seven days is now 7.6 percent lower than the previous 30. The difference in the medians—1,849 per day since July 5 vs. 1,708 in the past week—reflects data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Raw numbers of new cases reported today by the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services show the smallest increase in new COVID-19 cases—1,127 statewide—in weeks. This comes after numbers of new cases appear to have peaked in late July. On July 30, the state reported 2,344 new cases; yesterday, 1,629 new cases.

Officials reported an additional 30 deaths today, up from 28 new deaths yesterday. There have been 2,050 deaths due to COVID-19 statewide since the coronavirus was tracked here starting in March.

Positive tests climb

More than 1.87 million coronavirus tests have been completed in North Carolina as of today’s report from the NCDHHS. Tests are coming back 9 percent positive statewide, an increase from 7 percent reported yesterday. Likewise, Mecklenburg positive test results have jumped to 11 percent in today’s report, up from 9 percent yesterday.

A positive rate of less than 5 percent of less for two weeks is an indication the virus is under control, according to health authorities.

As of Monday at 4 pm, more than 105,000 people in North Carolina were presumed recovered from COVID-19. The NCDHHS releases recovery data once a week.

Hospitalizations

Hospitalizations statewide rose, but only by one, to 1,167 people hospitalized with COVID-19. One week ago, there were 1,291 people hospitalized due to COVID-19; one month ago, 949.

Mecklenburg trends improve

Over the past 7 days, Mecklenburg has averaged 14.1 percent of the state’s new confirmed cases per day.

There were two more deaths due to COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County, for a total of 218 since the outbreak began.

Based on data from Johns Hopkins University, Mecklenburg accounts for about 14.1 percent of the state’s new confirmed cases per day—and 10 percent of the state’s population, indicating that Mecklenburg is still an epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in North Carolina. Yesterday’s data put Mecklenburg at 12.5 percent of the state’s new confirmed cases per day, but it has been as high as 17 percent in the past month.

North Meck

The number of new cases of COVID-19 increased by two each in Cornelius and Davidson for a total of 355 and 198, respectively. In Huntersville, the number of new COVID-19 cases climbed from 592 in yesterday’s report to 599 today.