Mecklenburg coronavirus cases at 1,255. Gaston Co. wants partial reopening next week.
Mecklenburg County’s coronavirus cases reached 1,255 Tuesday. The county reported an increase of 24 new cases from the previous day. One more person has died due to COVID-19, bringing the county’s total to 32.
New cases in the county peaked on April 6, at 86, and have fallen steadily since then.
New projections of the outbreak’s peak demand on hospitals, released Monday night, suggest it might not come until mid- to late June instead of about June 8, an earlier date county officials had given.
The later date means social distancing, enforced by state and county stay-at-home orders, is working, according to Mecklenburg health officials. The flattened curve of the peak means that hospitals might not face a sudden surge of sick patients, instead seeing fewer numbers over a longer time.
Gov. Roy Cooper told reporters Tuesday that he expects to release details on moving toward easing the statewide restrictions later this week. “Right now, staying at home is saving lives,” he said.
The state Department of Health and Human Services reported 6,951 cases of the virus statewide on Tuesday morning, a gain of 187 cases. The death toll rose to 213, from 179 on Monday, and hospitalizations rose to 427 on Tuesday, after declining Monday.
Five people died at Five Oaks Rehabilitation, a skilled nursing and rehab center in Concord, the Cabarrus County health authority said Monday.
But with an April 29 expiration date for the state and county restrictions just a week away — and no assurances either will be fully lifted — about 1,000 protesters descended on Raleigh Tuesday to demand reopening of shuttered businesses.
Ninth District Rep. Dan Bishop of Charlotte was among several politicians who joined the group. The Republican attended wearing a protective mask which he sometimes removed, and carried a bottle of hand sanitizer and pocket-sized editions of the Constitution.
“I’m definitely going to deliver this to Roy Cooper because he’s forgotten what it’s about,” Bishop said.
Gaston County plans reopening
Gaston County leaders say they’ll start a gradual reopening when the state of North Carolina’s initial stay-at-home order lifts on April 29.
“While waiting to see what Gov. Cooper and state leaders will decide on the current Stay at Home order, Gaston County leaders are doing work behind the scenes to prepare for a gradual re-opening of the local economy,” county officials said Tuesday.
There are 120 cases of coronavirus in Gaston County, and nearly 100 of those people have recovered, according to the county’s statement. At least three people have died from COVID-19 in Gaston, according to DHHS data.
“The compliance of our residents with the Stay at Home order has done exactly what we hoped it would — flatten the curve and protect our local hospital from experiencing a spike that could have overwhelmed its capabilities and resources,” Gaston’s health and human services director, Chris Dobbins, said in a statement.
Gaston leaders, according to the county’s statement, are “assembling plans for a slow re-opening of the economy once the Governor’s Stay at Home order ends on April 29th.”
Some South Carolina beaches reopened Tuesday with mayors and other leaders enthusiastically telling people to soak in the sun while being careful and continuing coronavirus precautions like social distancing.
At-home test kits
Burlington-based LabCorp announced Tuesday that it has received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for nasal swab samples to be collected at home using the company’s COVID-19 home test kit.
A scarcity of testing capability has hounded states including North Carolina throughout the pandemic, state officials have said. So few have been tested that reported case counts are viewed as representing only a small fraction of people who are actually infected.
“Enabling individuals to self-administer sample collection will help prevent the risk of transmitting the virus to others and reduces the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) as the tests do not require a clinician to perform the test collection,” LabCorp said in a statement.
Fund for health care workers
A $50 million nationwide fund has been created for families of health care workers and volunteers who died of COVID-19 after assisting others who had the new coronavirus, a Foundation for the Carolinas subsidiary said.
The subsidiary, E4E Relief, launched the Brave of Heart Fund with $25 million in donations from the New York Life Foundation and the Cigna Foundation. New York Life committed another $25 million to match individual donations.
The plan is to grow the fund to more than $100 million with contributions from corporate and individual donors.
Road construction delayed
The state Department of Transportation said plunging traffic volumes, and resulting lost revenues from motor fuels and highway use taxes and fees, have caused a budget shortfall that will delay most road construction projects.
DOT says falling revenues will cause a budget shortfall of at least $300 million for the fiscal year ending June 30. All but about 50 major projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months will be delayed.
Seven Mecklenburg County projects worth $113 million will be deleted or delayed from a list that had been scheduled to go to bid in the next 12 months.
Among them are turning roadside shoulders of Interstate 77 north of Charlotte into rush-hour travel lanes and rail work at Charlotte Gateway Station in uptown. Others would rehabilitate bridges and repave parts of Interstate 277, the city’s inner loop; improve pavement on a section of I-85; and work on the intersection of I-485 and N.C. 16.
Projects that will continue to move forward are funded by bonds and federal grants. The delays won’t affect construction projects that are already underway or have awarded contract.
The department said it has begun a hiring freeze, laid off consultants and is working on plans for possible furloughs and staff reductions.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 11:14 AM.