Sharp Spike In NC's New COVID-19 Cases Targets Unvaccinated

NORTH CAROLINA — COVID-19 cases have risen sharply this past week throughout the state, largely spreading among unvaccinated residents and reversing months of progress, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.

The number of new cases in the state jumped by 66 percent in the span of one week, with nearly 2,000 new cases and 817 hospitalizations reported Thursday, DHHS said. Of those seeking medical treatment in North Carolina, 132 were admitted in the span of 24 hours, the agency said.

More than 94 percent of the new cases in the state were in people who were not fully vaccinated, DHHS said.

"Unvaccinated North Carolinians are unnecessarily getting sick, being hospitalized and dying,” DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said in a statement Friday "Don’t wait to vaccinate. And if you haven’t gotten your shot, you need to wear a mask indoors at all times when you are in public spaces."

According to the state's County Alert System, the spread of COVID-19 is considered significant or higher in more than half of the state's 100 counties. Critical spread is reported in Richmond County, while substantial spread is currently taking place in Cherokee, Chowan, Cleveland, Cumberland, Graham, Hoke, Lee, Onslow, Pitt, Rutherford and Sampson Counties, DHHS said.

In the Charlotte metro region, where COVID-19 spread is currently at a "significant" level, cases and hospitalizations continue to increase. In the past week, Mecklenburg County reported an average of 175 new lab-confirmed cases a day, up from a previous 14-day average of 134 cases per day. As of Friday, the county had a percent positive rate of 8.6 percent, Mecklenburg County Public Health said.

Statewide, the percent of positive tests in North Carolina was 6.7 percent, DHHS said.

SEE ALSO:

• NC Makes Decision Regarding School Mask Policy For Upcoming Year
• Free At-Home COVID-19 Vaccinations Offered Across North Carolina
• These NC Hospital Systems Now Requiring Employee Vaccinations