Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Jan. 8
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 28,000 new cases reported
At least 1,816,380 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 19,619 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday, Jan. 7, reported 28,474 new COVID-19 cases, up from 24,292 the day before and another record high. The count has continued to rise since the state saw a record of more than 20,000 cases on Jan. 5.
Another 33 coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Jan. 7. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 3,474 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Jan. 7, up from 3,298 the day before, health officials said.
As of Jan. 5, the latest date with available information, 31.2% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 74% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 70% have been fully vaccinated. Of the state’s total population, about 59% are fully vaccinated and 63% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
More than 2.6 million “additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of Jan. 7, the health department said. Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get boosted, as data suggests it offers increased protection against the omicron coronavirus variant.
Leaders say we need to reach ‘endemic’ stage of COVID
Gov. Roy Cooper has said North Carolina needs to reach the “endemic” stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in which schools and businesses can still operate and life can proceed with some sense of normalcy.
“We want to get this virus to the endemic stage,” Cooper said Friday. “We understand that this virus is going to be with us for a long time, but we need to make sure that we can lead normal lives and live with it, protect ourselves and try to reduce people getting sick and dying from this virus.”
Endemic is a term used to describe the amount of a particular disease in a community, The News & Observer reported, citing Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist with UNC Health.
Endemic doesn’t mean the disease isn’t present in a community.
“The endemic level of a disease assumes that, without intervention and assuming there is not a high enough level of disease to deplete the susceptible population, the disease will continue to exist at the baseline level indefinitely,” The N&O reported.
Harris Teeter cuts store hours again
Harris Teeter is temporarily shortening its hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting Monday, Jan. 10, as the coronavirus pandemic impacts business.
The shortened hours will give employees more time to stock shelves and clean, The Charlotte Observer reported. About 60 stores in the Charlotte region will be affected.
In the Triangle, check with local stores as the new hours will not apply to some stores in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.
Most Harris Teeter stores were previously open until 10 or 11 p.m.
Mecklenburg Public Health to distribute at-home COVID test kits
Mecklenburg County Public Health on Saturday, Jan. 8, will offer free at-home test kits for county residents experiencing COVID-19 symptoms who can’t access a local testing site or buy such kits.
Kits will be available 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, 1430 Alleghany St. in Charlotte, and Bojangles Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. in Charlotte.
Two test kits — four tests — per household will be available while supplies last.
No appointment is necessary, and no prescription from a health care provider is required.
Visit mecknc.gov/covid-19 or call the COVID-19 information hotline at 980-314-9400, option 3, for up-to-date program information, including locations and hours of operation.
Two workers at COVID testing site test COVID-positive
Charlotte-based StarMed Healthcare needs more staff at its Harrah’s Cherokee Center COVID-19 testing site in downtown Asheville after two workers tested positive for the disease, WLOS reported.
Anyone interested in working at the site should contact Chris Dobbins of Starmount Healthcare Management at 704-995-9597, 704-319-9200 or ChrisD@StarmountHealthcare.com.
Mountain county extends mask mandate amid omicron spread
Amid the rapidly spreading COVID-19 omicron variant, Buncombe County commissioners on Tuesday voted to extend the county’s mask mandate for indoor public spaces to Feb. 16, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.
The county’s positive test rate Dec. 27 to Jan. 3 was 13.7%, according to the newspaper. Buncombe, whose county seat is Asheville, reported 654 cases per 100,000 population, the Citizen Times reported.
“The sheer numbers are so large,” Buncombe Public Health Director Stacie Saunders said. “We’ve never seen a number like that in the time that I’ve been recording data for us.”
Festival to return to NC after COVID delays it for two years
A popular festival is returning to North Carolina after two years of coronavirus-related pauses, organizers said.
BOOM Charlotte, an event focused on art and performances, is scheduled for April 22-23.
Submissions are due Feb. 4 for the festival, being held in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood. The event is returning in-person after doing online and “limited capacity shows,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
Some Wake school bus routes were without drivers due to COVID
Some Triangle-area families had to find other ways to get to and from school Friday as bus drivers were out due to COVID-19.
On Jan. 7, there weren’t drivers for 15% of bus routes, Wake district spokesperson Matt Dees said. The absences were related to the coronavirus pandemic and bus driver shortages seen across the United States.
Bank of America asks workers to stay home as omicron spreads
Bank of America, which has a major presence in the Charlotte area, is urging employees to work from home.
The bank, which had already encouraged remote work the week of Jan. 3, is now extending that period through next week, The Charlotte Observer reported. The bank said it “continue(s) to monitor the broader environment” as the omicron coronavirus variant leads to a rise in cases.
In July, the company started allowing vaccinated people to work in-person, becoming one of the first major Charlotte-area employers to reopen its offices. Bank of America hasn’t required vaccines but said it “strongly encourages” workers to get them.
COVID money will prevent water cut-offs in Buncombe County
Low-income Buncombe County families can apply for special relief money to prevent their water from being cut off due to COVID-related economic hardship, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.
County commissioners on Tuesday approved receiving nearly $500,000 from a federal water assistance program, according to the newspaper.
This story was originally published January 8, 2022 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Jan. 8."
