913 known coronavirus cases in Mecklenburg amid call to help ‘flatten the curve’
Mecklenburg County has 913 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus, county officials said late Friday in a COVID-19 update.
Statewide, the total number of known cases neared 4,000 late Friday. Twelve people in Mecklenburg County have died, and more than 70 people have died from COVID-19 in North Carolina, state health data show.
Two babies have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Mecklenburg County public health officials announced Friday. It’s unclear the condition of the infants or when they were diagnosed. In a news statement, the county reported two cases have been seen in “children less than a year old.” Just 1% of known COVID-19 cases in North Carolina exist in people age 17 or younger, state data shows. And none of the reported deaths by state health officials have been people younger than 25.
Mecklenburg County has the highest number of cases in the state and more than twice as many as the next largest county.
The number of cases reported Friday grew, up from 861 on Thursday. Last week at this time, the county had 604 cases.
Health experts and government officials have cautioned that the total number of positive cases on a given day is a limited picture of how many people locally may have the coronavirus. Over the last several weeks, the number of new cases reported in a single day locally has ranged from as few as 6 to as many as 71. In the last seven days, the average number of new cases reported daily was 52.
Day to day increases can fluctuate based on backlogged tests, increased number of tests administered or increased access to testing.
Mecklenburg has been under a local stay-at-home order since March 26. A statewide stay-at-home order is also in place.
Health department officials said Friday: “It is critical that residents continue to abide by the restrictions in the order. While the latest projections have indicated that physical/social distancing has been effective, everyone in the community must continue to comply in order to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Several Charlotte area organizations announced further restrictions or cancellations this week amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Charlotte Area Transit System asked all bus and rail riders to wear face masks and to sit at least six feet apart on Thursday.
CATS CEO John Lewis said in a video posted on Twitter that people should largely “stay home” and only use public transit if they’re making an “essential” trip, such as to access food or medical facilities. The buses will only serve 20 riders at a time, and some seats will be marked off to indicate how far apart riders should sit.
Charlotte Symphony has canceled its Summer Pops series, held annually on Sundays in June at Symphony Park.
New executive orders
Gov. Roy Cooper issued three executive orders on Thursday, one of which was intended to protect those in nursing homes. 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 code capacity or five people for every 1,000 square feet.
The new order affecting nursing homes 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.
At a Ballantyne nursing home, four people have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Pavilion Health Center leaders said Friday the infected people are residents and have been isolated from others at the nursing home.
The Cabarrus County public heath department is investigating at Five Oaks Rehabilitation in Concord, where there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19. The whole facility is being tested for the virus, which is recommended when a COVID-19 is found in this kind of congregate living facility, according to the county health department.
New cases in Catawba
Catawba County reported three new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the county’s total number of confirmed cases to 32.
“Not all cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this does not represent the total number of people who have or had COVID-19,” the county said in a statement.
Catawba County has received 481 negative COVID-19 test results. The county urged residents to stay home and avoid contact with other people.
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 10, 2020 at 11:36 AM.
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