What can we help you with? View our COVID-19 information and resources page here
12 p.m.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported on Thursday the second highest number of hospitalizations so far in the pandemic. Still, Dr. Mandy Cohen said during a news conference on Wednesday that the hospitals do continue to have enough capacity to care for patients.
912 people were hospitalized as of Thursday morning. The highest hospitalization count recorded in the state was on June 23 with 915 people hospitalized.
The state reported 1,629 new cases on Thursday. Over the last couple days, NCDHHS has also been reporting more tests, with more than 20,000 completed daily over the last two days.
18 more deaths were reported on Thursday, bringing the total in the state to 1,391.
Dr. Cohen stressed on Wednesday the importance of face coverings and avoiding large gatherings going into the holiday weekend.
“Wear a mask because you want to protect your loved ones and your neighbors,” said Dr. Cohen. “Wear a face covering because you want to reignite the economy and support businesses. Wear a face covering so our children can be back at school where they can grow, learn and thrive.”
When asked about holiday travel playing a role in possible virus spread, Cohen said most of North Carolina’s cases are driven from local transmission and community spread such as workplace exposure and large gatherings.
According to Cohen, North Carolina is seeing a “slow but steady increase” compared to states that now serve as cautionary tales for how things can change quickly.
THURSDAY MORNING STORYLINES
As North Carolina reported its highest single-day increase for both cases and completed tests, Gov. Roy Cooper said state education leaders weren’t yet ready to issue a directive about how schools should plan to reopen in the coming school year. But some districts, including Durham Public Schools and Wake County Public School System, are moving forward with their own plans.
Wednesday, a source with knowledge of Wake County’s reopening plan said leaders are forming a plan that incorporates both in-person and at-home education. However, the source said that parents and students shouldn’t expect a formal decision to come out of Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, rather, the board plans to listen to school staff about their ideas for what a reopening plan with “moderate” social distancing–as described by the Strong Schools NC Public Health Tool Kit–could look like.
The WCPSS Board of Education is expected to meet at 12 p.m. Thursday. You can watch that meeting online at ABC11.com.
Meanwhile, Wake County Public School System officials said they would not host their usual food distribution sites for families on Friday due to the Fourth of July holiday. Instead, families will be able to grab additional meals Thursday so they will have food for the weekend.
Durham Public Schools also put together a plan under which students in grades K-8 will have in-person instruction, while high school students will have online instruction only.
As cases continue to rise across the state, student athletic programs are putting summer workouts on hold. Both Durham Public School and Cumberland County Schools are delaying workouts until at least July 20. Summer extracurricular activities, like marching band practice, are also delaying in-person meetings until at least July 20 or moving online entirely.
Nationwide, COVID-19 cases are rising in 38 states. About 40 percent of the nation’s counties and cities have either halted or reversed reopening plans. According to John’s Hopkins University, more than 686,500 cases have been reported in the US, with more than 10.7 million cases worldwide.
WEDNESDAY
5:35 p.m.
Wake County health officials have identified a COVID-19 outbreak at a Raleigh long-term care facility.
Health officials said this is the second outbreak at the Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located at 3000 Holston Lane, after some residents and staff tested positive for the virus at the facility.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services defines an outbreak as two or more people — residents or employees- testing positive for the virus.
As of Wednesday night, Wake County reports a total of 5,379 COVID-19 cases, up 105 from Tuesday.
3:20 p.m.
Durham Public Schools said Wednesday that it put together a plan for reopening schools under the state’s “Plan B” requirement. Governor Roy Cooper has asked all school districts and charters to come up with three plans for the 2020-21 school year, depending on the severity of COVID-19.
Plan B means that there would need to be increased social distancing with schools at no more than 50 percent and buses at no more than 33 percent capacity.
After considering feedback from the Spark Re-Opening Task Force of administrators, educators, and health professionals, Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga presented this Plan B to the school board, which approved it unanimously.
3:10 p.m.
In a Wednesday news conference, Gov. Roy Cooper made it clear that one of his main priorities is to reopen schools with in-person instruction in August but did not issue a statewide directive on how schools should open.
The governor vowed to allow the state’s 115 school districts to take extra time to ensure their teachers and staff are prepared for each of the three potential scenarios as spelled out in StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit, which was updated on June 30.
WATCH FULL UPDATE:
According to officials, this includes districts stocking up on thermometers and personal protective equipment (PPE), installing fiber or plexiglass barriers where applicable, and marking six feet spacing for seating and other areas to facilitate the appropriate social distancing.
Gov. Cooper announced Wednesday that public health staff and emergency management began delivering a two-month supply of PPE to schools across the state. The protective gear will go to school nurses and staff who provide health care to children.
In total, the shipments include more than 16,500 thermometers, 7,200 face shields, 81,000 gowns and more than 347,000 surgical masks.
Schools have been closed for in-person instruction since March 14 and the new academic year for traditional schools is only a few weeks away.
Gov. Cooper is asking schools beginning classes in July to conduct lessons remotely until a decision is made for in-person learning. When asked about universities and other higher education, the governor said more decisions will be made in the coming weeks.
Schools are required to create the following three plans which spell out what’s mandated and what’s recommended regarding social distancing and minimizing exposure; face coverings; protecting vulnerable populations; cleaning and hygiene; monitoring for symptoms; handling suspected, presumptive, and confirmed COVID-19 cases; communication and combating misinformation; water and ventilation systems; transportation; and coping and resilience.
Plan A: Minimal Social Distancing Will be implemented assuming state COVID-19 metrics continue to stabilize and/or move in a positive direction. All requirements in the guidance apply to Plan A.
Plan B: Moderate Social Distancing Will be required if state COVID-19 metrics worsen and it is determined additional restrictions are necessary. All requirements in the guidance apply, with additional requirements in the Social Distancing and Minimizing Exposure and Transportation sections.
Plan C: Remote Learning Only Will be implemented only if state COVID-19 metrics worsen significantly enough to require suspension of in-person instruction and the implementation of remote learning for all students, based on the remote learning planes required by Session Law 2020-3. The requirements listed in the guidance would not apply, as students and staff would not be gathering in groups on school grounds.
School districts may choose to implement a more restrictive plan but may not choose to implement a less restrictive plan than established by NCDHHS, NCSBE and NCDPI.
Gov. Cooper said the goal is to give districts flexibility because they are all different.
“We are not issuing a statewide directive today on how schools should be open in the fall. But we will soon,” Cooper said. “We want to get our students back in the classroom, and we want to make sure we get this right. My number one opening priority is classroom doors. So we encourage our public schools to continue that planning, with a special focus on how teachers, staff, and students can best be protected – especially those who are high-risk.”
The governor stressed school is where children learn academics, build social skills and become tomorrow’s leaders. Gov. Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen both highlighted recent reports that mention in-person learning being beneficial and having a positive impact.
Dr. Cohen cited data surrounding children possibly transmitting COVID-19 at a lower rate and how new information can help developing plans evolve more.
According to Gov. Cooper, the state has spent the last few weeks getting feedback from those with boots on the ground in the education community.
Dr. Cohen said decisions on reopening schools go back to what we can do together to slow virus spread and noted how North Carolina is not “on fire” compared to other states.
Gov. Cooper mentioned how his mother was a teacher and understands the sacrifices made by educators.
“How to re-open North Carolina school buildings, bus garages, and administrative offices is a critical decision, and we are incredibly thankful for Governor Cooper’s thoughtful and thorough approach,” Tamika Walker Kelly, President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said in a statement on Wednesday. “COVID information is changing on a daily basis, and the health and safety of all of our state’s educators, students, and their families is at stake. It is far more important to get this decision right than to get it done quickly. NCAE looks forward to working with the Governor and the State Board of Education to ensure educator voices continue to be heard in the planning to safely re-open our schools for students and all educators.”
With Wednesday bringing the state’s highest increase in numbers. Dr. Cohen stressed the importance of face coverings and avoiding large gatherings going into the holiday weekend.
“Wear a mask because you want to protect your loved ones and your neighbors,” said Dr. Cohen. “Wear a face covering because you want to reignite the economy and support businesses. Wear a face covering so our children can be back at school where they can grow, learn and thrive.”
When asked about holiday travel playing a role in possible virus spread, Cohen said most of North Carolina’s cases are driven from local transmission and community spread such as workplace exposure and large gatherings.
According to Cohen, North Carolina is seeing a “slow but steady increase” compared to states that now serve as cautionary tales for how things can change quickly.
Gov. Cooper explained his “pause” on loosening restrictions was in an effort to prevent moving backward like Florida and Arizona have had to do recently.
3 p.m.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest filed a lawsuit against Gov. Cooper, saying the Democratic incumbent has failed to seek or receive support for a half-dozen executive orders since March from the Council of State.
“This lawsuit is not interested in the substance of Gov. Cooper’s orders,” Forest said at the Legislative Building last week. “In times of crisis, the rule of law is more important than ever. We must do the right thing in the right way. No one – governor or citizen – is above the rule of law.”
Cooper and his administration have said he has other authority–citing several laws–to act on his own without the council’s “concurrence” to protect health and safety. The 10-member council is composed of Cooper, Forest and eight other statewide elected officials. Six council members are Republican.
2:05 p.m.
Sampson County is reporting 20 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,077. There has been another death, bringing the total number of county deaths to seven.
2 p.m.
Halifax County officials are reporting two new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 323. There have been four deaths from the virus county-wide.
12:30 p.m.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported the highest single-day increase in cases since the start of the pandemic.
1,843 new cases were reported on Wednesday.
17,660 tests were completed and 901 people remain hospitalized. That’s down seven from Tuesday.
The percent positive in the state has remained around 9 to 10 percent in the last week.
So far, 1,373 people have died in North Carolina after contracting COVID-19. That’s up 30 from Tuesday.
In congregate care facilities alone, the state is reporting 7,756 cases, 819 deaths and a total of 217 outbreaks.
11:30 a.m.
Out! Raleigh Pride has officially canceled its 2020 celebration.
The event, originally scheduled for May 30, had been postoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, organizers said that even if restrictions were lifted to the point that they could hold the event later this year, they didn’t want to hold an event that might put people at risk for illness or exclude those who are high-risk for severe infections.
Next year’s Pride is scheduled for June 6, 2021 on Fayetteville Street. “It willbe the first time we’ve celebrated Out! Raleigh during Pride month, and we are so hopeful everyone can come together and be in commjnity again!” organizers wrote on the group’s website.
Copyright © 2020 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
