Feb. 17. With President Biden suggesting things won’t get back to normal until around Christmas, the rate of new coronavirus cases during the past week was 21.7 percent lower than the preceding 31 days. (See chart, based on Johns Hopkins data.) The NC Dept. of Health & Human Services is reporting 3,167 new cases today, with statewide hospitalizations at 1,954.

Deaths

Statewide there were 108 new deaths, up from 61 yesterday. Deaths, as well as hospitalizations, are lagging indicators of the pandemic.

Testing

The statewide positive test rate is at 7.7 percent. The Mecklenburg positive test rate is at 8.4 percent.

Vaccinations

NCDHHS reports 1.168 million first doses have been administered; 546,479 second doses.

Mecklenburg

There were 295 new cases of COVID-19 county-wide.

North Mecklenburg

Cornelius: 9 new cases; 2,400 cumulative; 21 deaths total.

Davidson: 8 new cases; 1,354 cumulative; 15 deaths total.

Huntersville: 16 new cases; 4,931 cumulative; 46 deaths total.

President Biden’s outlook

“As my mother would say, with the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbors …  by next Christmas, I think we’ll be in a very different circumstance, God willing, than we are today.”

—President Biden responding to questions from Anderson Cooper during a CNN Town Hall