NC COVID-19 Update: State's Death Toll Surpasses 2,600

NORTH CAROLINA — The number of known coronavirus cases in North Carolina rose by 1,244 cases Wednesday, increasing the state's tally of COVID-19 cases to 158,985, the Department of Health and Human Services reported.

The state's virus death toll also jumped by 36 Wednesday, increasing the number of lives lost to COVID-19 in the state to 2,606. On a national level, coronavirus was responsible for more than 179,000 deaths in the U.S., Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday afternoon.

As of Aug. 26, about 7.8 percent of tests in North Carolina were positive,according to DHHS data.

Also growing are the number of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters at either a school or child care center. DHHS defines a cluster as five or more laboratory-confirmed cases that are linked. As of Aug. 26, clusters at 22 child care centers were associated with 244 COVID-19 cases, and one cluster at a school was associated with 19 cases.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in North Carolina. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Hospitalizations rose again slightly for the fourth day in a row in North Carolina. As of Wednesday, 1,004 patients were hospitalized with coronavirus-related illness in state hospitals, four more than reported Tuesday.

An Aug. 26 survey of 90 percent of the state's hospitals reported that there were 5,471 empty staffed inpatient hospital beds and 540 empty staffed intensive care unit beds remaining in the state. Ventilators also remained in supply, according to the survey, with 2,358 remaining available, DHHS said.

SEE ALSO:

• University Reopenings Lead To Uptick In COVID-19 Spread In NC
• Mail-In Voting In North Carolina: Deadlines, How To Get A Ballot
  
• Charlotte Losing Money Due To Coronavirus: Here's How Much