NC COVID-19 Death Toll Swells To 1,552, Nearly 2K New Cases

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina's COVID-19 death toll rose by 42 in the span of a day, increasing the number of lives lost in the state to coronavirus to 1,552, according to data released Tuesday. State public health officials also reported 89,484 confirmed cases, which included 1,956 newly confirmed cases recorded since Monday.

As of Tuesday, 1,109 patients were being treated at hospitals for coronavirus-related illnesses, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. A survey of 91 percent of the state's hospitals indicated there were 5,140 empty inpatient hospital beds and 520 empty intensive care unit beds remaining in the state. Ventilator supplies remain plentiful, according to the survey with about 2,453, or 73 percent, of the state's supply remaining available, DHHS said.

Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to announce the plan for how schools will reopen next month. As of Tuesday, 89 confirmed cases were associated with COVID-19 clusters reported at either a school or one of 11 child care centers throughout the state.

SEE ALSO: Gov. Cooper To Announce School Plan Tuesday: How To Watch

Ten counties in North Carolina, including Mecklenburg County, are at a "tipping point" and should revert to stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19, Harvard Global Health Institute said Tuesday.

Mecklenburg, Gaston, Anson, Hyde, Montgomery, Robeson, Wilson, Duplin, Nash, Halifax and Tyrell counties are considered to be at COVID Risk level "Red," and are in need of stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the virus, according to the Harvard Global Health Institute. The designation is given to counties experiencing a "tipping point," and reporting 25 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people.

Globally, more than 13.1 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 574,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday. In the United States, nearly 3.4 million people have been infected and nearly 136,000 people have died from COVID-19.

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SEE ALSO:

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