NC COVID-19: Hospitalizations Spike, More Than 2,200 New Cases

NORTH CAROLINA — The number of known COVID-19 cases in North Carolina rose by 2,258 Monday, increasing the state's tally to 219,754 cases, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data.

North Carolina's coronavirus death toll rose to 3,637 Monday, an increase of 29 lives lost to the virus in the state since Friday.

As of Oct. 5, at least 971 patients were hospitalized for coronavirus in North Carolina, representing a spike of 69 patients reported since Sunday, and representing the highest number of hospitalizations in at least a month.

An Oct. 5 survey of 92 percent of the state's hospitals reported that there were 5,846 empty staffed inpatient hospital beds and 550 empty staffed intensive care unit beds remaining in the state. Ventilators also remained in supply, according to the survey, with 2,473 available, DHHS said.

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As of Monday, there were 13 COVID-19 clusters reported in North Carolina schools and 10 active clusters at child care centers. DHHS defines a cluster as five or more lab-confirmed cases that are linked. As of Oct. 5, there were at least 171 positive COVID-19 cases associated with school clusters and at least 386 positive cases and three deaths associated with child care centers.

Globally, more than 35.3 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 1 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Monday. In the United States, more than 7.4 million people have been infected and more than 209,900 people have died from COVID-19.