Using John Hopkins data, we compiled new confirmed COVID-19 cases in NC from Aug. 16 to Sept. 15. The state’s median number of new cases since Aug. 16 is 1,263 and the state’s median over the past 7 days is 1,198.
Sept. 16. By Dave Yochum. The NC Dept. of Health & Human Services today reported 1,137 new cases of the coronavirus statewide, up from 1,106 new cases yesterday. There were 38 new deaths statewide as well, but the number of new cases is well below the median of the past month (1,263) and the past week (1,198), based on data collected from Johns Hopkins University.
For North Carolina, the median daily volume of new cases over the past week is 5.1 percent below the median daily volume over the past month.
A key indicator of the spread of the coronavirus—the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests—rose to 5.8 percent having dropped under 5 percent early this week, according to NCDHHS.
Hospitalizations
Hospitalizations rose, from 916 in yesterday’s NCDHHS report, to 918 in today’s. On Monday, the state reported 845 people hospitalized due to COVID-19. On Sept. 1, 946 people were people hospitalized.
State public health officials track coronavirus spread through four main metrics: New cases, the percentage of people who test positive, hospitalizations and deaths.
New case data is a “leading indicator,” according to Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County health director. She expects the numbers of new cases to spike in the wake of Labor Day weekend gatherings. Deaths are a lagging indicator. Hospitalization data is more problematic when it comes to tracking the spread of the coronavirus, in that younger people tend to become less seriously ill than older people.
Cumulative totals since pandemic began in NC
Cases of COVID-19: 188,024
Deaths: 3,149
Tests: 2.68 million
Mecklenburg
The number of cases county-wide increased by 104 from Tuesday’s report to today’s, for a cumulative today of 27,125. The positive test rate here has dropped to 4.7 percent from 6.2 percent one week ago.
Over the past seven days, Mecklenburg accounted for 8.2 percent of the state’s new confirmed cases.
There was one new death related to COVID-19 in Mecklenburg in today’s NCDHHS report. The county-wide total is 335.
North Meck
—Cornelius: no new cases, total 496, a downward adjustment of one. 16 deaths total
—Davidson: no new cases, total 279, a downward adjustment of one. 5 deaths total
—Huntersville: 4 new cases, 878 total. 11 deaths total
