Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 21
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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.
Cases top 52,000
At least 52,801 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,220 have died, according to the state health department.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday reported an additional 1,412 cases of the virus, down from 1,549 reported Saturday.
Officials reported eight additional deaths Sunday.
At least 845 North Carolinians were hospitalized with COVID-19 Sunday, when 74% of hospitals were reporting data to the state.
More than 14,000 coronavirus tests were reported Sunday for a total of 745,775. Sunday is the second day in a row in which 10% of test came back positive, a higher percentage than health officials want.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, NCDHHS secretary, has said she wants positive results to drop to about 5%. The percentage of positive tests is a metric state health officials are using to gauge how the state in containing the virus.
Hospitalizations reach record high Saturday
Hospitalizations reached a record high again on Saturday.
At least 883 North Carolinians were hospitalized with COVID-19 Saturday, up from 871 reported the day before. Saturday marked the fifth consecutive day of record-breaking hospitalizations.
At least 857 patients were hospitalized Thursday, up from 846 on Wednesday and 829 on Tuesday, according to the state health department.
On Saturday, 87% of hospitals reported data to the state.
The recent increase in hospitalizations has concerned Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, the DHHS secretary.
Data show about 21% of hospital beds and 22% of ICU beds in the state were available as of Sunday. While Cohen said there was enough capacity as of Wednesday, “if we just react to hospitalizations by the time we get close to maxing out hospitalizations, it could be too late.”
Butner inmate dies
Another inmate at the federal prison at Butner has died, The News & Observer reported Sunday.
Wayne Delvin Littlecrow, 55, died Saturday after testing positive for the coronavirus on June 1, prison officials say. He was put on a ventilator June 6.
The Federal Correctional Complex at Butner has one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the federal prison system. Just at the complex’s low-security prison there are 612 active cases of the virus among inmates and six active cases among staff. A total of 12 inmates and one staff member have died.
Littlecrow had pre-existing health conditions that put him at a higher risk for COVID-19.
Movie theaters prepare to reopen
Movie theaters in North Carolina are preparing to reopen safely when the state allows them to do so.
North Carolina’s current phase of reopening could end June 26, and Gov. Roy Cooper has said he’ll make an announcement about the next steps early this week. Movie theaters would have been allowed to reopen under initial plans for Phase Two, but the governor instead moved the state into a more modest plan.
Now major chains and local theaters are making reopening plans.
Some include requiring the use of face masks, limiting capacities in theaters and restricting food services, The News & Observer reports.
More deaths among younger adults
The number of younger adults who have died from COVID-19 has increased recently in Mecklenburg County.
As of late Saturday, 139 people have died from the virus in the county, two more than the day before. More than half of the deaths have been connected to nursing homes and long-term care facilities. But in recent days, more younger adults have died.
Three people between the ages of 40 and 59 died last week in the county, bringing the total to 14.
Statewide, adults ages 35-49 account for 5% of deaths and adults ages 50-64 account for 20%, per NCDHHS data. Meanwhile those ages 75 and older account for 60% of deaths.
Road tests waived
Teenagers in North Carolina can now obtain a provisional driver’s license without taking a road test.
The Division of Motor Vehicles stopped offering road tests, which are required for teens to obtain a license, in March in effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
But under a new law signed by Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, teens can obtain a license without the road test if they meet all other requirements, including passing a driver’s education class or exam, logging 60 hours of supervised driving and visiting the DMV to get their license.
The waiver is temporary and will expire when the DMV begins offering road tests again.
This story was originally published June 21, 2020 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 21."
