Jan. 22. By Dave Yochum. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have fallen three days in a row, with the total statewide now at 3,512, according to the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services. There were 125 new COVID-19 deaths, however, but that’s down from 139 new deaths yesterday.

There were also 7,436 new coronavirus cases reported statewide Friday, up from 7,187 new cases yesterday. Over the past week the volume of new cases is running 5 percent ahead of new cases logged during the past 31 days, based on data from Johns Hopkins University.

For comparison sake, there was an average of 3,322 new cases each day during the five days ended Nov. 20, before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Testing

The statewide positive test rate has been falling since Tuesday. It’s now at 10.1 percent, down from 11.8 percent this past Tuesday and more than 14 percent on two days last week. Mecklenburg COVID-19 tests are coming back positive at the rate of 12.6 percent. Of course, 5 percent is the goal.

Mecklenburg

In Mecklenburg County, there were 805 new cases reported today by the NCDHHS. There have been 708 deaths due to the coronavirus, up eight from yesterday, up 191 from one month ago.

There were two new deaths in Huntersville, according to today’s NDHHS report.

North Mecklenburg

Cornelius: 10 new cases, 2,079 cumulative; 20 deaths total.

Davidson: 16 new cases, 1,109 cumulative; 10 deaths total.

Huntersville: 38 new cases, 4,249 cumulative; 36 deaths total.