A new single-day record of than 1,000 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Carolina has been reported by the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The 1,107 new positive results represent 4.2 percent of the 26,358 completed tests in the same 24-hour period, according to the NCDHHS dashboard.
As Dr. Mandy Cohen, NCDHHS Secretary, has said on many occasions, the daily new case totals are rising with an increase in the number of tests being performed. While an increase in cases is not desirable, today’s total and those from the past two days (788 and 708 on Thursday and Friday, respectively) would be of more concern if fewer tests were being done, and the positive-test rate were above 5 percent to 7 percent.
Hospitalizations increased during the past 24 hours by 21, up from 568 to 589, and nine more COVID-19-related deaths were reported for a statewide total of 737 deaths.
That Phase Two started yesterday at 5 p.m. is coincidental to the spike in the number of new COVID-19 cases.
Governor Roy Cooper is scheduled to speak today at a 2 p.m. COVID-19 update briefing. The Beacon will not be able to cover the Governor’s conference.
DARE COUNTY will announce details for its next local drive-thru testing event by 5 p.m. next Wednesday. As The Beacon reported yesterday, all appointments for the Wednesday drive-thru testing at First Flight High School in KDH have been filled. This testing is not free, but it is a diagnostic test that should be covered by private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.
See https://www.darenc.com/Home/Components/News/News/6286/1483
Ann G. Sjoerdsma, 5/23/20
The Southern Shores Beacon 