Dec. 9. By Dave Yochum. The NC Dept. of Health and Human Services is reporting 6,495 new cases of COVID-19 statewide, a record high. The total case count broke through the 6,000 mark on both Saturday and Sunday and then fell below 5,000 Monday and Tuesday.
Indeed, breaking through the 5,000 new cases mark on Dec. 3 was a surprise to a variety of people in health care and government.
Just a month ago, cases were under 3,000 per day. In recent days, the percentage of tests returning positive has increased to more than 10 percent, hitting 11.7 percent in today’s NCDHHS report.
There were 56 deaths due to COVID-19 reported today.
GOV. COOPER AT DEC. 8 PRESS CONFERENCE
Curfew begins Friday
Yesterday Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order requiring people to stay at home between 10 pm and 5 am effective this Friday through at least Jan. 8 of next year. It also shuts down restaurants and other businesses at 10 pm.
Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 rose by 67 to a record 2,440. Dec. 1 was the first time North Carolina’s coronavirus hospitalizations broke through the 2,000 mark. In mid-July, after the Independence Day holiday, there were roughly 1,000 to 1,100 North Carolinians hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Total cases
Statewide, the cumulative total of COVID-19 cases now stands at 410,527.
Testing
In Mecklenburg County, positive tests were reported at 9.8 percent, up from 7.8 percent one week ago.
Deaths
A total of 5,661 North Carolinians have died of COVID-19 related illness since the outbreak began in March.
There were no new COVID-related deaths reported by the NCDHHS in Mecklenburg County today, after an increase of six yesterday.
Mecklenburg
In Mecklenburg County, there were 651 new cases of COVID-19 in today’s NCDHHS report, up from 439 new cases yesterday, but down from 784 new cases reported on Sunday.
There were 39 new cases reported by the NCDHHS in Huntersville.
North Mecklenburg
Cornelius: 16 new cases, 1,105 cumulative; 17 deaths total.
Davidson: 11 new cases, 624 cumulative; 7 deaths total.
Huntersville: 39 new cases, 2,132 cumulative; 18 deaths total.
