NC Reports Spike Of 2,277 New COVID-19 Cases, 47 Deaths

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina's tally of COVID-19 cases jumped by 2,277 newly confirmed cases Thursday, increasing the state's total number of cases to 212,909, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data.

The increase was the largest day-over-day rise in reported cases since July 30 and comes one day before the state is set to relax restrictions. Gov. Roy Cooper announced earlier this week that a new "Phase 3" executive order will go into effect Oct. 2, allowing some outdoor and entertainment venues to reopen. Under the order, movie theaters, outdoor stadiums and amusement parks will be allowed to open with limited capacity.

The new "Phase 3" restrictions will go into effect Friday at 5 p.m. and remain in effect through Oct. 23.

SEE ALSO: NC To Move Into Phase 3 Friday: What You Need To Know

North Carolina's coronavirus death toll rose to 3,579 Tuesday, an increase of 47 lives lost to the virus since Wednesday.

As of Thursday, at least 939 patients were hospitalized for coronavirus in North Carolina, representing a decrease of 17 patients since Wednesday.

An Oct. 1 survey of 97 percent of the state's hospitals reported that there were 5,086 empty staffed inpatient hospital beds and 481 empty staffed intensive care unit beds remaining in the state. Ventilators also remained in supply, according to the survey, with 2,480 available, DHHS said.

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.

As of Thursday, there were 16 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. 1, there were at least 134 positive COVID-19 cases associated with school clusters and at least 377 positive cases and three deaths associated with child care centers.

Globally, more than 34 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 1 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday. In the United States, more than 7.2 million people have been infected and more than 207,000 people have died from COVID-19.

SEE ALSO:

• 19-Year-Old Appalachian State Student Dies From COVID-19 Illness
• 2020 Election: NC Absentee Ballot Requests Up 11 Times Over 2016