Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 18
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Hospitalizations set another record
At least 320,862 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 4,898 have died, according to health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported 3,367 new COVID-19 cases, up from 3,288 reported the day before.
At least 1,537 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, a new record daily total. State officials last week said patient counts would be higher due to a change in how the federal government reports hospital stays.
About 9.2% of tests were reported positive as of Monday, the latest day for which data are available. That’s above the 5% target set by health officials.
Charlotte pub cited for COVID-19 violation before closing
Selwyn Avenue Pub in Charlotte was cited by the police department for violating the governor’s coronavirus order before the pub announced a temporary closure.
A spokesperson for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told the Charlotte Observer the pub was cited overnight between Nov. 14 and Nov. 15. Selywn announced on Instagram Sunday it would be closing its door until “conditions are more favorable.”
CMPD did not say why the citation was issued, but the pub confirmed they received it on Instagram, saying the pub had voluntarily limited capacity to 37% — below the required 50% — but were told “that it is illegal to stand while drinking a beverage.”
“We are currently seeking clarity on this issue and apologize if we misunderstood the ‘standing while drinking’ rule,” Selywn said on Instagram. “In fact, this was the main issue when we got a visit from a COVID Ambassador on Saturday, November 14.”
New map shows positivity rates in Charlotte area
A new tool shows the positivity rates for COVID-19 tests for ZIP codes in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte.
Data is entered into the system when someone in the area tests positive for the coronavirus, helping to give insight into which areas are most impacted. Black and Hispanic residents in Charlotte have seen disproportionate effects, The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
“Higher positivity rates were observed in communities where adults work in front-line jobs, have limited access to health care and where children or adults have been exposed to the virus while living in multi-generational homes,” the Observer reported.
About 8.2% of tests in Mecklenburg County were reported positive on average over the last week, data show. State health officials have said that figure ideally should be closer to 5%.
Private schools report COVID-19 clusters
A Charlotte-area school is moving classes online after reporting its second group of COVID-19 cases since September.
Covenant Day School in Matthews reported seven coronavirus cases among high schoolers. Students linked to the latest cluster were “involved in in-person learning,” spokesperson Megan Fair said.
Also in the region, Steele Creek Preparatory Academy Charter School was on Mecklenburg County’s list of sites experiencing outbreaks or clusters of cases. At least six people tied to the school have tested positive for COVID-19, The Charlotte Observer reported.
In the Triangle, a Durham school had 26 coronavirus cases, including 20 among students, data show. Liberty Christian Academy is one of four private schools in the area that reported cases.
“This upcoming Sunday and Wednesday, we will be holding online services for our Liberty family and others who would like to tune in,” the school posted Nov. 5 on Facebook. “With precautionary measures being taken at the school and several families in quarantine, we believe this is the best decision for now.”
Wake approves plans to bring back more students, sports fans
High school students in the Wake County school system will have some in-person classes starting in January.
The district’s school board voted 7-1 on Tuesday to approve a plan to provide some face-to-face instruction for students in all grades during the spring semester. Some students who have had no or few in-person classes would be included.
Changes could come if the district discovers it can’t do the plan or if coronavirus cases climb.
“I want to reassure our community, our students, our teachers, our staff that we are confident that the protocols are in place, the procedures are in place to continue, at least where we have started, in terms of a successful reopening,” school board chairman Keith Sutton said.
The decision comes as the district on Tuesday announced it would allow some parents to attend athletic events.
This month, the Wake County schools system had said spectators couldn’t attend sports competitions due to concerns about COVID-19. The district received messages and calls demanding that the ban be lifted, The News & Observer reported.
Now, immediate relatives of student athletes will be able to attend their sporting events starting Nov. 30.
The district also announced it has ordered a shipment of masks for choral and band students, who had to perform virtually due to potential risks from COVID-19.
Duke vs. Wake Forest football game canceled
A scheduled football game between Duke University and Wake Forest University has been called off due to coronavirus concerns.
The teams were expected to play Saturday at Duke, but coronavirus cases at Wake Forest led to the game’s cancellation. Though Wake Forest said the colleges would consider an alternative game date, that possibility is unlikely and wasn’t mentioned by Duke or the ACC.
It was the second ACC game postponed this week, after the face-off between Georgia Tech and Miami was moved to December, The News & Observer reported Tuesday.
Dave Clawson, coach for Wake Forest, said this season has presented him with rewards and challenges.
“It’s a weekly battle,” he said. “Every time we test I lose sleep and hold my breath until we get the test results back.”
Governor launches new COVID-19 alert system
Gov. Roy Cooper announced a new three-tiered alert system designed to gauge the spread of the coronavirus at the county level.
Officials will use the rate of new cases, percentage of positive test results and impact on hospitals to determine a county’s ranking on a red, orange and yellow scale. They’ve also included enforcement recommendations based on which classification a county falls under.
There are currently 10 counties in North Carolina that are shaded red.
The system, announced on Tuesday, mirrors that of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, with yellow indicating “significant” community spread, orange indicating “substantial” community spread and red indicating “critical” community spread, The News & Observer reported.
“This county alert system shows our viral hotspots,” Cooper said during a news conference. “But let me be clear, the whole state is experiencing widespread transmission. Cases across the country are surging, forcing states to go backward. Right now our metrics are increasing, not surging. But a surge can happen quickly.”
Mecklenburg County is one of 47 counties in the yellow tier, the Charlotte Observer reported. Neighboring Gaston County, however, is red.
In the Triangle, Johnston County is the only county ranked in the orange zone, according to The N&O. Wake and the other surrounding Triangle counties are yellow.
Beloved town Santa dies after COVID-19 diagnosis
A town’s Santa Claus died Monday after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Jim Helms, also known as “Santa Jim,” was a fixture in Lincolnton at the city parade and in the courthouse square during the holiday season.
Laura Morris, director of community relations for Lincolnton, said Helms was “larger than life” with “the most beautiful natural white beard you’ve ever seen.”
“If Santa dies of COVID, everybody needs to know it’s real,” Morris said. “It underscores the importance of social distancing and washing your hands and wearing a mask.”
CDC says Duke’s fall testing program worked
A case study published Tuesday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report determined Duke University’s aggressive fall testing program helped quell the spread of the virus.
Under Duke’s program, students were tested when they arrived on campus. The university also utilized pool testing and “frequent surveillance testing” throughout the semester, The News & Observer reported. More than 162,000 tests in total were administered to students and employees since Aug. 2.
Of those, 217 came back positive for a positivity rate of 0.13%.
The study looked at about 70,000 tests given to more than 10,000 students between Aug. 2 and Oct. 11, during which time Duke found 84 positive COVID-19 cases — “most of whom were asymptomatic,” according to The N&O.
“With a lot of hard work and a lot of complementary components you can reduce transmission in environments such as campuses,” said Dr. Tom Denny, professor and chief operating officer at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.
One-fourth of middle, high school students failed remote class
Roughly one-fourth of middle and high school students in Wake County schools had a failing grade in at least one class during the first two months of the school year when learning was remote.
Between 24% and 25% of high school students and about 28% of middle school students had failing grades during the first quarter, The News & Observer reported. Officials attribute the increase over last year’s numbers in part to attendance rates.
“While not necessarily surprising given the state and national trends that we’re seeing, it indeed is a cause for concern,” Paul Koh, assistant superintendent for student support services, told the school board. “But we must also acknowledge that if it were not for the efforts of our school teams, the early student performance results would be far worse.”
The drop in grades mirrors the trouble school districts have seen statewide. About 40% of students in Guilford County reportedly failed a class during the same time frame, as did 35% of New Hanover County’s middle school students.
Officials in Wake County say they’re revising some policies moving forward, including allowing for more retesting and altering attendance policies.
Charlotte COVID-19 metrics near highs seen over the summer
Hospitalizations and new coronavirus cases in Charlotte are nearing peak points previously reached in July.
The number of daily new cases statewide has already surpassed the then-record highs seen over the summer, the Charlotte Observer reported. But in Mecklenburg County, that figure is still slightly below July’s peak of 328 new daily cases.
County officials reported an average of 300 new daily cases during the first two weeks of November.
The number of people hospitalized in the region is also climbing. Hospitalizations in Mecklenburg County previously peaked in July at around 200 people per day. Average hospitalizations hit 172 this week, the Observer reported.
17 Asheville firefighters test positive for the coronavirus
A multi-week training program has led to 17 firefighters at the Asheville Fire Department testing positive for COVID-19 and an additional 13 going into self-isolation.
The training sessions at Buncombe County Training Center in Woodfin started in late October, McClatchy News reported. At least nine who attended tested positive. Eight others who did not attend also tested positive.
“One (positive test) is one too many,” said Fire Chief Scott Burnette, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported. “We are seeing nationally and at a state level an unbelievable increase in COVID cases. So, for us to also have an increase, unfortunately is not surprising.”
Coronavirus case clusters increase
State health officials on Monday reported 43 new coronavirus clusters in the past week, preliminary data show.
“The total number of cases associated with these clusters is 12,738, an increase of nearly 400 from the week before,” The News & Observer reported.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported seven more deaths related to clusters, which are defined as five or more linked cases in a two-week span.
Some of North Carolina’s case clusters have been tied to meat and poultry plants, colleges and religious events, according to the state.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 7:08 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 18."
