June 3. By Dave Yochum. With statewide unemployment soaring, demonstrations all around Mecklenburg and the RNC in Charlotte most likely cancelled, COVID-19 deaths are on the rise, although perhaps not as sharply. According to the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services there were 18 new deaths statewide overnight, for a total of 939 since the pandemic was tracked on a daily basis in March.
The county, meanwhile, is preparing for the economy to experience a “sharp decline” during the fourth quarter “as a result of retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses closing as a result of the Stay at Home Proclamation.” To view the county budget, click here.
There has been one new coronavirus death in Mecklenburg, according to the NCDHHS. There has also been a death attributed to COVID-19 at The Pines in Davidson, according to NCDHHS data. There have been no new deaths at Autumn Care since one was reported last week.
Steve Jewell, executive director at The Pines, could not be reached for comment.
The new NCDHHS data released at noon show a total of 30,777 cases of COVID-19 statewide, up 888 or 2.9 percent from yesterday. The NCDHHS said 684 people are hospitalized by COVID-19 down 32 from 716 yesterday.
Testing soars
Testing has much to do with the increase: There have been a total of 449,263 tests administered across North Carolina, up from 434,921 yesterday.
A week ago, on May 27, there were a total of 794 deaths in North Carolina attributable to COVID-19 for an increase of 18 percent.
Total cases rose from 24,628 to today’s level, an increase of 25 percent.
Testing meanwhile soared from 364,156 one week ago to today’s level, an increase of 23 percent.
Positive tests are running 8-9 percent.
Mecklenburg has seen a total of 4,670 coronavirus cases, up from 4,519 yesterday. The number, provided by the NCDHHS, is cumulative since mid-March.
There has been one new death in Mecklenburg County for a total of 96, up from 80 one week ago.
An elementary school student from Durham has died from coronavirus complications. It is the state’s first reported child fatality in the pandemic, according to the Charlotte Observer.
RNC DOA?
On Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper said he did not know what the status of COVID-19 would be in August during the Republican National Convention, so planning a scaled-down convention was a necessity. President Trump soon cancelled the confab. Local Republican leaders said there appears to be little chance the President will change his mind.
Meanwhile, unemployment figures are coming in.
The county unemployment rate surged to 12.8 percent in April, higher than the peak of the recession a decade ago. The full impact of the novel coronavirus is yet to be seen.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce said nearly 74,000 are unemployed county-wide.
