North Carolina Coronavirus: 1,313 Cases, 13 Deaths Monday

NORTH CAROLINA — Hurricane Isaias was not the only threat facing North Carolina residents on Monday. In addition to monitoring the storm's progress and preparing for dangerous hurricane conditions, North Carolina officials were also monitoring the impact of the new coronavirus.

On Monday, the department announced an additional 1,313 people had tested positive for the new coronavirus, keeping up a gradual downtrend in the state's seven-day average. Monday's total also continues a trend of slight day-over-day decreases that began on Thursday with the state's third-highest number of new cases reported in one day, 2,344.

The decrease began in earnest on Friday with 1,954 new cases reported. The number of new cases had fallen to 1,730 on Saturday, and it decreased further to 1,341 on Sunday.

The DHHS also reported eight new deaths on Saturday and two on Sunday. On Monday, 13 more were reported, bringing the state's death toll to 1,982.

The health department has also reported a slight decrease in the percentage of people who have received a positive test result. With a total of 1,837,410 people tested across the Tar Heel State, only 7 percent have tested positive, down from 8 percent last week.

Hospitals

With 79 percent of the state's hospitals reporting, health department data shows 1,057 people are hospitalized because of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

According to state data, the number of people hospitalized is also slowly beginning to trend downward. Over 1,200 people were recovering from the virus in hospital beds on Tuesday. Since then, that number has decreased day-over-day.

On Monday, 344 people more people were admitted to state hospitals with suspected cases of the coronavirus, and 86 people were admitted with lab confirmation that they did, in fact, have the virus.

Across the state, only 318 adults in North Carolina are in hospital ICUs because of COVID-19 on Monday. Further, the number of people using ventilators has also decreased from 910 on Friday to 804 on Monday. The state reports 2,364 ventilators remain available, should they be necessary.

Testing

A number of testing locations and events are scheduled to provide coronavirus testing to North Carolina residents in the coming days. A list of sites and events can be found on the state's Community Testing Event website.

The website states some events will be canceled or rescheduled as Hurricane Isaias makes its way across North Carolina, bringing with it the risk of major flooding and life-threatening wind damage.

A NCDHHS spokesperson told Patch via email that residents hoping to get tested in the coming days should contact local officials or organizers to confirm testing hours and availability.

"During a hurricane or tropical storm, the safety of staff and of people getting tested is prioritized," the spokesperson said. "In response to [Hurricane] Isaias, individual testing events will determine whether they will cancel, reschedule or change logistics for their community testing event."

Sheltering

Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday explained the pandemic has added additional difficulties to emergency preparations as category one Hurricane Isaias approaches North Carolina.

"Listen to local officials and follow evacuation orders when they're issued," Cooper said in a news conference. "If you are told to evacuate, the most important thing is to get out of the danger zone. First, plan to stay with friends or family. If that doesn’t work, a hotel is the next option if you can afford it."

Officials asked that, should evacuation orders be issued, residents try to stay with friends and family members or in hotels rather than going to shelters.

Cooper said shelters will be available if needed, but shelter workers will screen people for symptoms of the new coronavirus before they are permitted to enter.

"If someone has COVID-19 or shows symptoms, they will be directed to a sheltering option for isolation or medical attention," the governor said. "Shelters will have PPE and will honor social distancing"

North Carolina's Department of Public Safety reminds anyone who goes to a shelter to practice social distancing and good hygiene to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Anyone staying in a shelter is urged to alert shelter staff immediately if he or she begins to feel sick, or if he or she feels sick when arriving at a shelter.

A list of available hurricane shelters can be found on the state's ReadyNC website.