More Than 2K New COVID-19 Cases In NC As Hospitalizations Dip

NORTH CAROLINA — The number of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina rose by 2,102 cases overnight, increasing the statewide total of known cases to 108,995, the state's Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.

Hospitalizations for the state dropped by six patients, leaving a remaining 1,182 patients seeking medical care for virus-related illness. As of Friday, a survey of all hospitals in the 13 counties comprising the greater Charlotte metro region reported 119 patients suspected to have COVID-19 were admitted since Thursday. The hospitals also reported 76 empty ICU beds — roughly 17 percent of the region's staffed supply — and 1,132 empty staffed inpatient hospital beds — about 25 percent— remaining in the region.

The virus death toll rose across the state Friday, as 20 lives were lost since Thursday. As of Friday, the virus has claimed the lives of at least 1,746 lives, according to DHHS data.

A July 24 survey of 92 percent of the state's hospitals indicated that 413 patients suspected of having COVID-19 were admitted into facilities around the state since Thursday. The hospitalizations left 5,639 empty inpatient hospital beds and 559 empty intensive care unit beds remaining in the state. Ventilators remained in supply, according to the survey, with about 2,500 remaining available, DHHS said.

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The number of COVID-19 cases and clusters associated with either a school or child care center grew this week. North Carolina public health officials define a cluster as five or more laboratory-confirmed cases with plausible linkage. Friday, there were 103 cases stemming from clusters documented at one Union County middle school and 13 child care centers throughout the state— an increase of 15 confirmed cases and three new clusters related to a child care center in the span of three days, according to DHHS data.

Globally, more than 15.5 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 634,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday. In the United States, more than 4 million people have been infected and more than 144,000 people have died from COVID-19.

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