COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Deaths Jump In North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA — Hospitalizations for COVID-19 illness in North Carolina rose to a new high of more than 1,500 patients Tuesday as the percent of positive tests also increased, to nearly 9 percent.

The number of known coronavirus cases in the state jumped by 3,288 cases Tuesday, increasing the state's total reported cases to 317,495, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data.

Deaths also rose by 38 since Monday, increasing the number of lives lost to the virus in the state to 4,852.

As of Tuesday, at least 1,501 patients were hospitalized for coronavirus-related illness, representing a nearly 32 percent jump in hospitalizations throughout the state since Nov. 1. DHHS reported that 532 empty staffed intensive care unit beds remained available, representing about 22 percent of the state's supply, and about 26 percent — or 5,533— of staffed inpatient hospital beds remained available around the state.

SEE ALSO: NC Lowers Indoor Mass Gathering Limit To 10 In New Order

Also up, according to DHHS data, is the percent of tests coming back positive for the virus. As of Tuesday, 8.6 percent of tests were positive, up from an average of about 5 percent reported in September.

As of Nov. 17, there were 38 COVID-19 clusters reported in K-12 schools in North Carolina. DHHS defines a cluster as five or more lab-confirmed cases that are linked. At least 522 positive COVID-19 cases were associated with K-12 school clusters, DHHS said.

The news comes as state public health officials urge state residents to avoid traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday in an attempt to clamp down on large social gatherings that they say have helped fuel spread of COVID-19 around the state. Last week, in a bid to curb the increasing transmission of coronavirus throughout the state, Gov. Roy Cooper announced a new executive order clamping down on indoor gatherings, reducing the limit from 25 to 10. The new executive order, which went into effect Friday, is set to remain in place through Friday, Dec. 4.

Globally, more than 55.3 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 1.3 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday. In the United States, more than 11.2 million people have been infected and more than 247,600 people have died from COVID-19.

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