Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on March 30
Click here for the March 31 updates.
We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 1,300
North Carolina has at least 1,373 reported cases of coronavirus as of Monday evening, according to state and county health departments.
More than 20,000 people have been tested in the state, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Mecklenburg County has the most reported cases in North Carolina, with 382. Wake County has 180 reported cases, and Durham County has 118.
As of Monday, 137 people in the state were in the hospital with COVID-19, health officials said.
Inmates test positive
Two inmates at a federal prison in North Carolina have tested positive for coronavirus.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons reported on Monday the first confirmed cases among inmates at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner.
This comes days after it reported a staff member there tested positive.
Gun stores can open in Wake
Wake County will now allow gun stores to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic.
Wake, Durham and Orange counties didn’t include gun stores on their list of essential businesses under their stay-at-home orders, which require non-essential businesses to close.
But after the order was put in place, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity Infrastructure & Security Agency updated its list of what it considers essential workers to include “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges.”
Wake will update its order to follow those guidelines.
Department of Revenue closes
The North Carolina Department of Revenue headquarters in Raleigh closed Monday after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.
The person had not been in the building since March 21, and many employees were already working from home.
The building will be cleaned and, in the meantime, taxpayers can still access online resources.
UNC System changes admissions requirements
The UNC System said Monday it is changing requirements for admission because the SAT and ACT college-entrance exams were canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus.
Each university in the system can decide to admit students who have at least a 2.5 weighted GPA or a combined SAT score of 1010 or an ACT score of 19.
Schools can make admission decisions based solely on GPA, but applicants are still required to submit standardized test scores, with some exceptions.
The system will also offer prorated refunds to students who had already paid for housing and meal plans before most were ordered to leave their dorms this month.
Treasurer’s office employees test positive
The N.C. State Treasurer’s office on Monday said three more staff members tested positive for coronavirus.
Last week, officials announced State Treasurer Dale Folwell had COVID-19.
Hospital system adds restrictions
Novant Health increased visitor restrictions for patients giving birth at its North Carolina hospitals. The new rules restrict people giving birth to only one visitor in the room, in addition to hospital medical staff.
As coronavirus spread, hospital officials previously limited visitors, with some exceptions.
More deaths reported
More coronavirus deaths were reported in North Carolina on Monday.
An Onslow County resident in their 70s with underlying medical conditions died March 22, health officials said. It was confirmed on Monday that the patient had the virus.
A Virginia resident in their 80s with underlying conditions died Saturday, Carteret County officials said Monday.
Another Virginia resident died Friday after contracting the virus at a rehabilitation center in Northampton County.
Two coronavirus-related deaths were reported in North Carolina on Sunday.
A person in Mecklenburg County died from the virus on Sunday morning, officials said. The patient was 60, had underlying conditions and was believed to have contracted the virus through community spread.
A Buncombe County resident died Saturday at Mission Health in Asheville, officials said. No details were released about the patient.
Seven North Carolina residents have died from the virus, and two Virginia residents have died while traveling through the state.
Projections
The pandemic’s peak is still weeks away in North Carolina, likely on April 22, according to a model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
As of Monday, the model projects about 1,700 people in the state will die from COVID-19 by Aug. 4.
North Carolina could face a shortage of hospital beds from April 17 until April 27, according to the model, which shows the need for beds for COVID-19 patients peaking at 7,774, including 1,173 intensive care unit beds.
Unemployment payments
North Carolina residents who have filed for unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic will start receiving their payments this week.
About 270,000 North Carolinians have filed for unemployment since Gov. Roy Cooper loosened restrictions on March 17. Most of those claims are related to COVID-19.
Many have been put out of work as businesses across the state have been ordered to close in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Contractor tests positive
A Wake County contractor who tested positive for COVID-19 exposed 16 others to the virus, officials said Sunday.
The contractor was “supporting public health and clinical services” in one of the county’s Human Services buildings and was reportedly at work with symptoms.
Officials identified the 16 who were exposed after tracking the contractor’s movements. They all have symptoms and, since they work in health care, will be tested for the virus.
Stay-at-home order to go into effect
A mandatory, statewide stay-at-home order goes into effect 5 p.m. Monday.
Under the order, which will remain in place for 30 days, residents will still be able to go to the grocery store, to pick up food and medications, exercise outside and go to the doctor, among other things.
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 6:51 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on March 30."
