Triple-digit increase in COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg. County total reaches 7,800 during pandemic
Mecklenburg County saw another triple-digit increase in new coronavirus infections Thursday.
The rise has alarmed many Mecklenburg leaders, with some pushing for a face mask requirement to slow the spread of the virus and avoid returning to another stay-at-home order.
Mecklenburg added 241 new coronavirus cases Thursday, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported. The county has seen a total of 7,804 coronavirus cases since mid-March, according to state health data.
In the month of June, state health data has shown triple-digit daily new case increases for the county every day except for two. Before that, going back to March, most days were 100 or fewer new cases daily.
Health officials say 136 people with COVID-19 have died locally, as of Thursday evening. More than half of those who died were people connected to nursing homes or long-term care facilities, according to the health department.
Although health experts say an increase is to be expected as more testing helps identify more cases, the percent of positive tests in Mecklenburg has also grown recently. As the Observer reported Thursday, a dip in social distancing and the expiration of stay-at-home orders has corresponded with the coronavirus spreading further in Mecklenburg.
Since reopening began in North Carolina, hospitalizations have increased as has the percent of people tested who are found to have the virus. Between June 7 and June 14, the most recent data available, an average of 11% of people tested were positive for COVID-19. At its lowest point in mid-May, the percent of positive tests was 6.3%.
Gov. Roy Cooper emphasized Thursday that the most effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is through social-distancing and facial coverings.
And NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen gave a demonstration for wearing and handling facial coverings. The mask must cover both the nose and mouth, Cohen said.
When handling facial coverings, Cohen said to put on or remove masks by the ear coverings, rather than by the front. And after touching the face mask, wash your hands.
“It’s a piece of protection ... an extra thing that you put on that keeps you healthy,” Cohen told reporters. “And this piece of protection may even save your life or the lives of your loved ones. The evidence continues to mount up that this is the thing that we should do to slow the spread and get our economy going.”
In Durham and Orange counties, residents are already required to wear a facial covering in public. And in Raleigh, residents will be required to wear fear masks starting Friday afternoon.
Mecklenburg could take similar steps as case totals and hospitalizations increase, but County Manager Dena Diorio has said there’s not countywide support for a mask mandate.
”We are in conversations with Mecklenburg County and other municipalities and we are currently discussing this issue,” city spokesman Cory Burkarth told the Observer Wednesday.
Statewide, DHHS reported 1,333 new cases Thursday, for a total of 48,188. North Carolina now has 1,175 total deaths — seven more deaths from the previous day. The number of hospitalizations state-wide continues to rise, reaching 857 hospitalizations on Thursday, a record high for the state.
North Carolina lacks enough contact tracers to adequately track the spread of COVID-19, The News & Observer reported Thursday. An analysis by George Washington University shows the state needs 7,100 contact tracers. But DHHS reported Wednesday that North Carolina currently has only over 1,500 contact tracers.
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 June 18, 2020 at 3:57 PM.
