NC COVID-19 Update: Hospitalizations Down Fourth Day In A Row

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina's total number of COVID-19 cases rose by 1,625 newly confirmed cases Monday, increasing the number of known cases of the virus to 114,338. While the number of COVID-19 cases rose throughout the state, there was a sliver of good news: the number of patients of hospitalized with coronavirus-related illness dropped slightly for the fourth day in a row.

The virus death toll rose across the state Monday to 1,790, an increase of 44 lives lost to the virus in North Carolina since Friday, according to DHHS data.

As of Monday, 1,169 patients were seeking treatment in North Carolina hospitals, one fewer than reported Sunday and 13 fewer than were hospitalized Friday, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data.

State public health officials also said Monday that 8 percent of testing overall in North Carolina was positive, down from the recent high of 10 percent positivity reported July 2. Numerous counties in North Carolina, however, reported much higher positivity rates, according to DHHS. Montgomery County reported the highest, at 19 percent of its COVID-19 tests that are positive, followed by Robeson County with 18 percent, Hoke County with 16 percent and Gaston County with 14 percent.

A July 27 survey of 86 percent of the state's hospitals indicated that 315 patients suspected of having COVID-19 were admitted into facilities around the state since Sunday — the lowest number recorded in the span of seven days. The hospitalizations left 6,408 empty inpatient hospital beds and 660 empty intensive care unit beds remaining in the state. Ventilators also remained in supply, according to the survey, with about 2,402 remaining available, DHHS said.

In the greater Charlotte metro region, 383 patients were hospitalized as of Monday, including 92 patients were were admitted since Sunday and suspected to have COVID-19, DHHS said. The hospitalizations left 93 empty staffed intensive care unit beds and 1,245 empty staffed inpatient hospital beds remaining in the 13-county region.

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The number of COVID-19 cases and clusters associated with either a school or child care center rose over the weekend. North Carolina public health officials define a cluster as five or more laboratory-confirmed cases with plausible linkage. Monday, there were 106 cases related to clusters, up from 103 reported Friday.

Globally, more than 16.2 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and nearly 650,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Monday. In the United States, more than 4.2 million people have been infected and nearly 147,000 people have died from COVID-19.

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