Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 6
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
New cases rise by more than 1,500
At least 74,529 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in North Carolina, and 1,398 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported 1,546 new COVID-19 cases, up from 1,329 reported the day before.
The state as of Monday reported completing more than 1 million coronavirus tests, about 9% of which have come back positive.
Hospitalizations reach another record
At least 982 coronavirus patients were in North Carolina hospitals on Monday, the highest single-day total reported since the start of the pandemic.
Monday’s total was up from the 949 hospitalizations reported Sunday. It also surpassed the previous high of 951 hospitalizations, a record set on Friday, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The state has reported more than 900 hospitalizations each day since June 30.
About 81% of North Carolina hospitals reported data on Monday. Roughly one-fourth of in-patient and ICU beds were available, The News & Observer reported.
PPP loan data show economic damage in NC
The U.S. Small Business Administration on Monday released the names of the largest recipients of Paycheck Protection Program loans.
It names companies and nonprofits that received more than $150,000 and some information about companies that got less, including their ZIP codes, industry and number of jobs retained.
In North Carolina, nearly 122,000 loans were completed as of June 30 and were worth over $12.4 billion in total, The News & Observer reports.
More than 16,300 North Carolina companies received loans of more than $150,000, and 105,590 received loans of less than $150,000, data show.
Of the loans above $150,000, 60% were less than $350,000. But 100 companies got loans that were between $5 million and $10 million.
About a quarter of all PPP loans went to Triangle companies, but the largest number of loans above $150,000 went to companies in Charlotte.
Overall, loans under $150,000 retained 497,003 jobs in North Carolina and loans over $150,000 retained 696,313.
Train service cut again
Passenger train service has been cut again in North Carolina due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Amtrak is reducing the number of trains it runs between New York and Florida starting Monday. The Silver Star and Silver Meteor, which stop in North Carolina, are going from daily round trips to operating on different days of the week — meaning there will be one train between New York and Miami each day instead of two.
The Silver Star, which has stops in Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Cary, Southern Pines and Hamlet will now run south from New York on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It will head north from Miami on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The Silver Meteor, which stops in Rocky Mount and Fayetteville will leave New York on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and will leave Miami on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Another Butner inmate dies
Another coronavirus-related death was linked to a federal prison in North Carolina.
The 61-year-old inmate with preexisting conditions died after testing positive for COVID-19 last month, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said. He had been housed at the Federal Correctional Complex at Butner, where 16 inmates and one employee have died.
Butner’s low security facility reported 556 active infections among inmates and five among staffers as of Sunday. At least 116 inmates and 11 employees of the facility have recovered from the virus.
Renaissance festival canceled
The annual Carolina Renaissance Festival set for this fall has been canceled due to the coronavirus.
The festival, which takes place just north of Charlotte, is one of the largest outdoor Renaissance-themed events in the country and usually brings more than 200,000 attendees together. It was established in 1994.
Festival Producer Jeffrey Siegel said in a statement Monday that it was canceled this year for the safety of guests and participants.
“At the heart of the Renaissance Festival is a cornucopia of socially interactive experiences that is hard to compromise with the necessities of social distancing,” he said.
The festival won’t take place virtually but many of the traveling artists will be putting their work online, and the festival will share it on social media.
Closed bars don’t get payment extension
Bars ordered to close during the coronavirus pandemic didn’t get extra time to pay the state.
North Carolina lawmakers had proposed halting the Alcoholic Beverage Control permit renewal fees until 90 days after the businesses reopened. The measure didn’t pass in both chambers of the state legislature, meaning bars had to pay to be able to sell alcohol.
While a House version of a regulatory reform bill included the ABC permit extension, Republican Rep. Chuck McGrady led discussion about the final version and said “no one ever asked me to include it there,” according to the NC Insider.
Bars have been shuttered since March to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Permit costs are usually $2,200.
“It’s a slap in the face to still be forced to come out of pocket to pay for an ABC license that you will never be able to use,” Zack Medford of the N.C. Bar and Tavern Association said.
Weekend dip in new cases is misleading
The dip in new cases Saturday and Sunday may be due to a 23% drop in completed tests ahead of the holiday weekend, officials said.
With a record high of 2,099 new cases reported Friday, the pace of reported infections is increasing, the News & Observer reported Sunday.
In the past seven days, including Sunday, new infections were up 16% over the previous seven days, data show.
The state reported results from 17,998 completed tests Sunday, compared to 25,159 tests Friday and 26,360 tests on Thursday. On average, about 9% of tests are coming back positive, state officials said.
Mecklenburg tops 13,000 cases
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, had 305 new coronavirus cases Monday, putting it at 13,111 infections and 155 deaths since mid-March.
That’s the most of any county in the state. By comparison, Wake County had 6,150 cases and 49 deaths reported as of Monday.
On Friday, Mecklenburg County saw its biggest one-day increase with 430 cases. Between June 29 and July 5, the average number of new cases in Mecklenburg was 316 a day, The Charlotte Observer reports.
Cases surge at women’s prison
The N.C. Correctional Institution for Women saw the number of coronavirus cases increase dramatically over the weekend, with 47 in three days.
The surge brings the total number of cases in the women’s prison in Raleigh to 139, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
More than 750 inmates have been tested at the prison, which has a capacity for 1,776 people, The News & Observer reported.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 7:05 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 6."