Mecklenburg coronavirus cases up 60% in 1 week to 861, NC health officials say
Cases of coronavirus in Mecklenburg County have increased nearly 60% in the past week, with new state data showing 861 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases as of early Thursday, up from 533 reported on April 2.
In Mecklenburg County, there have been 10 COVID-19-related deaths, with the 10th announced late Wednesday. Four people in Mecklenburg have died since Sunday, according to local officials.
Statewide, there are more than 3,650 cases with at least 65 deaths reported, according to N.C. health officials. Mecklenburg has more than twice the number of cases as the next highest county, Wake, which had 371 reported by the state early Thursday.
The number of tests performed statewide in North Carolina has also increased. Last Thursday, North Carolina had administered more than 28,000 tests. The total is now more than 47,800 tests statewide, according to data reported Thursday. Officials have said it takes several days, sometimes up to a week, for results to be known from a test.
Mecklenburg County Health Department collects data from local hospitals on the number of tests administered. County officials have said they do not know how many tests have been done outside of hospitals.
Gov. Cooper passes new rules
Gov. Roy Cooper passed three executive orders on Thursday, one of which was intended to protect those in nursing homes. The order prevents group activities, requires face masks for employees and asks employees to screen residents and other staff members for symptoms of sickness.
The other executive order limits the number of people that can be inside retailers such as grocery stores. The new maximum is 20% of the stated fire capacity or five people for every 1,000 square feet.
The new order comes as Mecklenburg County health officials say they’re investigating a possible third case of the virus inside a congregate living facility. Already, officials have confirmed there are coronavirus outbreaks at two local nursing homes.
Preventing the spread of coronavirus has already proved challenging. Union County announced its first coronavirus-related death on Thursday.
A man in his 70s had been “connected to a long-term care facility” prior to his hospitalization, according to officials from the health department. Union County has a total of 91 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the health department.
At least 50 people have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Pinehurst Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, according to The Raleigh News & Observer.
After one person tested positive last weekend, the Moore County Health Department tested all 96 residents and more than 100 staff members earlier. Now there are 45 residents who have tested positive, as well as five staff members. However, not all the test results have come back.
‘Flattening the curve’
Mecklenburg County public health Director Gibbie Harris said during a news conference Wednesday that the county runs models on the COVID-19 outbreak with help from local hospitals. The model show that the increase in cases has not been as large as expected, which she said means social distancing efforts are working.
“We’re seeing some flattening of the curve, and it’s because of what you’re doing in the community,” Harris said. “… It’s absolutely necessary that you continue to comply with that.”
However even with current measures in place, Harris said she expects hospitals to be overwhelmed in early to mid-May.
Harris also drew attention to the fact that African Americans have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, the Observer reported. Nearly half of the reported cases are in African Americans, she said, and as of Wednesday, half of the people who died were black.
Prison outbreaks of coronavirus
Local businesses and organizations continue to feel the effects of the pandemic. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte furloughed more than 3,700 employees — including 240 full-time employees. A employee at the Midtown Target also tested positive for COVID-19 as did two more employees at Wells Fargo’s Customer Information Center in north Charlotte.
The pandemic has hit renters in Charlotte hard, too. A new study shows that nearly 1 in 4 Charlotte-area tenants did not pay their rent within the first week of April — an 8% increase from a similar time period last year. The rate is slightly lower than the national average of 1 in 3 renters not paying. Charlotte officials expect the rate to worsen.
A total of 19 state prison inmates have also tested positive, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. Most cases were at the Neuse Correctional Institution in Eastern North Carolina. As of last week, five prison staff members also tested positive. But now prison officials are refusing to release up-to-date numbers on positive cases among staff, saying the figure would likely be an incomplete look at impact on employees.
CMS closes school playgrounds
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Thursday said it has closed its parking lots to cars and its playgrounds and school properties are closed to the public, excluding business related to meal or student instructional materials distribution.
“The mandatory order includes no pets allowed on school properties and playgrounds,” CMS officials said a news release.
On Tuesday, Mecklenburg County announced that visitors would no longer be allowed to use parking lots at county parks, further limiting access. Parks remain open but county officials hope to reduce large numbers of visitors by removing parking.
Before, Mecklenburg shut down athletic courts and recreational centers as local officials grew concerned about overcrowding and the lack of social distancing in public areas.
Iredell, Catawba and Lincoln county
On Wednesday, Iredell County reported its first COVID-19-related death. The individual had underlying health conditions, health department officials said.
Catawba County on Thursday reported a new case of coronavirus, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases to 29.
The Lincoln County Health Department on Thursday recommended that citizens wear a face mask when going out in public to protect vulnerable members of the population.
Planning for November’s election
The State Board of Elections is asking lawmakers to consider some changes in preparation for an election during a pandemic. Some possible changes would be making Election Day a state holiday and doing all mail-in ballots, according to The (Raleigh) News & Observer.
If the state were to switch to all mail-in ballots, some laws would have to change and more equipment and workers would be needed, said the board’s executive director.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy don't we know how many tests have been done in Mecklenburg County?
Mecklenburg County Health Department collects data from local hospitals on the number of tests administered. County officials have said they do not know how many tests have been done outside of hospitals.
Non-hospital test centers and private labs report the number of tests and outcomes directly to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The state health department reports on its website a daily count of the number of tests performed across North Carolina. A county-by-county breakdown of the number of tests has not been provided publicly.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
