As it boosts COVID-19 testing, Mecklenburg sees 116 new cases — the largest jump so far
Thursday marked the largest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases in Mecklenburg since the county’s first reported case more than two months ago, based on state health data. County health officials have said big jumps in new cases will likely continue even as local COVID-19 trends remain stable.
For example, fewer people are being hospitalized in Mecklenburg for COVID-19 complications and the percentage of positive tests among county residents is slightly down over the last two weeks, according to health officials.
The number of new cases Thursday — 116 — comes as Mecklenburg officials say they’re nearly doubling the number of COVID-19 tests administered locally.
The average number of new cases reported in the last seven days is about 57, according to an Observer analysis of state health department data.
Mecklenburg has seen a total of 2,342 coronavirus cases, county health officials said Thursday afternoon. The number is cumulative since mid-March. The state earlier Thursday reported 2,320 total cases in Mecklenburg.
Health officials say 63 people with COVID-19 have died locally. No new deaths have been reported since Sunday and about half of those who have died have been connected to nursing homes or long-term care facilities, health data show.
About two-thirds Mecklenburg County residents who tested positive for the virus have been released from isolation, the county said Tuesday.
Statewide, DHHS reported 691 new cases Thursday, for a total of 16,507, and 18 more deaths, for a total of 615.
Eligibility for coronavirus testing in the county is changing and the county is working on scaling up testing. So far about 3.2% of the county or 36,000 people have been tested, county Health Director Gibbie Harris said late last week. The new plan would put the proportion of county residents tested at over 8%.
The latest projected peak for the Charlotte area is in late July, according to Atrium Health CEO Gene Woods who said Tuesday he believes hospitals have sufficient capacity to serve COVID-19 and other patients without resources being overwhelmed.
Mecklenburg COVID-19 update
As of May 10 — the last date demographic data was publicly available — county coronavirus data show:
▪ An average of about 54 people with lab-confirmed coronavirus infections were hospitalized at acute-care facilities in the past week. Those numbers reflect a decrease over the past two weeks, according to Mecklenburg health officials.
▪ An average of 7% of people who were tested were positive, showing a “slight” decrease over the last 14 days, health officials say. The figure includes only COVID-19 tests conducted by Atrium Health and Novant Health.
▪ About 3 in 4 people diagnosed with COVID-19 locally were adults ages 20 to 59 years old.
▪ About 1 in 6 people diagnosed were hospitalized due to their illness. People age 60 or older were more likely to need hospital care compared to younger people with coronavirus.
Health officials say the totals may only be a snapshot because many people with COVID-19 symptoms haven’t been tested.
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 May 14, 2020 at 11:26 AM.
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