May 8. The NC Department of Health and Human Services reports 13,868 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state as of 11 am today, up 3.5 percent from yesterday.

Some good news: The 3.5 percent increase is down from Thursday’s 5 percent increase. Then, too, testing is up: There have been 178,613 COVID-19 tests statewide, up from 171,328 Thursday and 164,482 on Wednesday.

Importantly, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 appear to be flattening. On Tuesday, the NCDHHS reported 534 people hospitalized in North Carolina, then 516 on Wednesday, 525 on Thursday and 515 today.

On Friday, NCDHHS reported a total of 527 deaths, up 20 from yesterday.

It’s hard to say with precision what is happening. Hundreds of thousands of people have not been tested, but the percentage of positive cases is decreasing slightly as testing increases.

Mecklenburg, according to DHHS, had 1,989 positive COVID-19 cases as of Friday, up from 1,922 reported by NCDHHS yesterday. Cornelius Today is reporting NCDHHS data to compare counties on the same basis. (Mecklenburg reported 1,983 cases on Friday, up from 1,932 on Thursday.)

Phase 1 of reopening will last until 5 pm May 22, when Phase 2 is tentatively set to begin.

Here are COVID-19 cases from nearby counties as of today:

Cabarrus: 338, up 5 from yesterday
Catawba: 67, up 2 from yesterday
Iredell: 141, up 4 from yesterday

Wake County, which is the same size as Mecklenburg, has 986 cases, up from 961 yesterday, according to the NCDHHS.