Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on May 12
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We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Reported cases and deaths
At least 15,591 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Tuesday afternoon, and 596 have died, according to state and county health departments.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday reported 301 new cases, an increase from the 281 reported the day before.
On Tuesday, North Carolina was averaging 441 new daily cases over the last seven days.
Health officials have said an increase in cases is to be expected as the state has ramped up testing and aims to test between 5,000 and 7,000 per day.
A total of 202,244 tests had been completed as of Tuesday afternoon, about 7.7% of which have come back positive.
At least 475 North Carolinians were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday, up from 464 reported Monday.
Only one of the state’s 100 counties has not reported a case of the virus, and 73 counties have reported at least one death.
NC a ‘location to watch’
A White House coronavirus task force report named North Carolina a “location to watch” in rising cases of COVID-19, The Charlotte Observer reports.
The report comes as North Carolina has started the process of reopening, with Phase One of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan underway.
The Charlotte area was also listed as the top location to watch.
A “location to watch” is one that has a more than 10% increase in cases week-to-week, at least 200 cases and between 30 and 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the week before.
Free drive-through testing
Coronavirus tests paid for by the federal government will soon be available at retailers in up to 10 counties.
The test are available at the Walgreens at 3793 Guess Road in Durham and at the Walmart at 210 Greenville Blvd. SW in Greenville, The News & Observer reports. Eight other counties could soon have such testing available.
“The tests at these sites are paid for by the federal government so there is no cost for the people getting tests. Another great piece of news,” N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said last week, according to The N&O.
Those who meet requirements can sign up for an appointment to be tested in Durham at walgreens.com/findcare/covid19/testing or in Greenville at doineedacovid19test.com.
Another protest
Protesters gathered in Raleigh for the fifth Tuesday in a row to call for ending coronavirus-related restrictions on North Carolina businesses. About 200 people joined the most recent ReOpenNC demonstration.
A banner on a plane that flew over downtown had a message from counter protesters that read: “Fewer graves if we reopen in waves,” The News & Observer reported.
The protest was held after the first phase of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to reopen the state went into effect Friday, lifting some restrictions on businesses.
Social distancing decline
Social distancing has decreased in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, according to officials.
The county government analyzed transportation and phone data and found a slight decline in the two weeks before Friday. That’s the same day some coronavirus-related restrictions were lifted across the state.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Mecklenburg had the highest COVID-19 case count in North Carolina.
Data on recoveries
Health officials estimate that more than 9,000 people in North Carolina have recovered from COVID-19.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will start including the number of people in the state who are “presumed recovered” in its data reports, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the department, said during a news conference Monday.
Officials estimate the number of recoveries by estimating the median recovery time as 14 days for patients not hospitalized and 28 days for those who are.
On Monday, the department estimated that 9,115 North Carolinians are “presumed recovered” from the virus.
Election costs
North Carolina isn’t prepared for the increased election costs the coronavirus pandemic will bring, The News & Observer reports.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. Board of Elections, has requested from the state legislature changes to voting laws and about $2 million in funding to match the federal funds available to the state.
She says the $11 million from the federal government will be needed to help pay for the expected big increase in mail-in voting and to make in-person voting safe.
But her requests haven’t been addressed with the general election 6 months out, she said.
“We hope that they will address this in a timely fashion,” Brinson Bell said, according to The N&O. “By June 15, we’re going to be in a very tight spot to be able to have the supplies and the materials.”
Antibody testing available
Coronavirus antibody tests are available in North Carolina for a blood donation or $10.
The Blood Connection started offering the tests to donors on Monday and LabCorp, which is based in Burlington, began offering them through its site for $10 last week.
A positive antibody test doesn’t necessarily indicate immunity to COVID-19 or that the person had the virus, Allie Van Dyke, a Blood Connection spokesperson, told The News & Observer. It means the immune system created antibodies “in response to the presence of the virus.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 7:27 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on May 12."
