Coronavirus local updates: Trump: US flag will be half-staff next 3 days

More than 5 million people worldwide -- including more than 1.5 million people in the United States – have been infected with the new coronavirus, and the number of deaths from the outbreak continues to rise. Officials are attempting to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. as hospitals manage unprecedented patient surges.

>> Scroll below for live, local real-time minute-by-minute updates

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Mecklenburg County: (TBA)

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White House Task Force: (TBA)

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>> Here are the latest updates about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in North Carolina and South Carolina. Scroll below for real-time updates.

• The number of cases across North Carolina reached 20,910 Thursday. North Carolina is now reporting 716 deaths, 290,645 completed tests and 578 people currently in the hospital.
• Gov. Roy Cooper and the state’s coronavirus task force announced the state will move into a “safer-at-home” plan on May 22.
• Gov. Henry McMaster lifted the home or work order in South Carolina on May 1.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking cases in the United States here.

Important Links:

• CDC: Tracking Cases in the U.S. here
• NC Dept. of Health & Human Services
• WSOC Special Section: Tracking Coronavirus
• WHO: Advice for the Public
• WHO: Q&A

Live, local updates from Thursday:

10:10 p.m.

9:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he will order the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff over the next three days as the death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 95,000.

Trump tweeted Thursday: “I will be lowering the flags on all Federal Buildings and National Monuments to half-staff over the next three days in memory of the Americans we have lost to the CoronaVirus.”

He said the flags will continue to be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day in honor of those in the military who died serving their country.

The move follows a request from Democratic leaders to do so to recognize a “sad day of reckoning when we reach 100,000 deaths.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote to Trump that an order to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff would “serve as a national expression of grief so needed by everyone in our country.”

8:50 p.m.

During a visit to the Charlotte area, federal Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says the upcoming NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in Concord is an important part of the country getting back to work and normal activities.

He praised governors for moving to reopen their economies, with North Carolina set to enter a second phase of loosened restrictions Friday.

He said economic downturns can lead to increased suicide rates and reductions in vaccinations and cancer screenings.

Azar addressed reporters after touring a testing center at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and having a discussion with health leaders about reopening state economies.

7:45 p.m.

4:50 p.m.

Avery County reported its second positive test for COVID-19.

4:20 p.m.

Five new cases were reported today in Caldwell County, all in the 28645 Zip code.

Cases are counted in the county where the patient lives, not where they are tested. Sometimes patient addresses are initially reported as Caldwell County, but further investigation reveals they actually live in another county.

4:05 p.m.

Statement: The NC craft beer industry is an integral part of the state’s economy. We manufacture, distribute and sell some of the finest beer in the United States and have been an engine for economic growth in small towns and cities throughout North Carolina, contributing more than $2b to the economy and providing more than 12,000 jobs.

The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent shut down has devastated the industry. While we have been deemed an essential business as part of the beverage supply chain, revenues are down 75-90% industry-wide. Being able to reopen for modified on-premise activities as part of the Governor’s plan in Phase II is instrumental to the survival of the industry.

Our 328 breweries, taprooms and brewpubs have served as leaders in this crisis, working to provide safe and responsible ways for the consuming public to enjoy locally crafted beer. As an industry, our breweries have invested millions in manufacturing and safety equipment. We do not believe our breweries, taprooms or brewpubs meet Executive Order 141’s definition of “bars”, and we are continuing to work with the Governor’s office to clarify this matter.

Throughout the COVID-19 shut-down, the NC craft beer industry has acted in a responsible manner making the safety of our customers and employees our top priority. We have worked with NCDHHS on safety protocols and we have enacted those protocols in accordance with CDC and NCDHHS guidelines, consistent with requirements and guidance for NC restaurants, that would allow our breweries to reopen on a modified basis for onsite consumption, without sacrificing public safety, and allowing for appropriate social distancing and sanitation protocols.

We look forward to getting questions regarding the industry’s status resolved quickly, for the benefit of our craft brewing industry, and the public interest.

3:20 p.m.

The McDowell County Health Department has been notified that 4 additional McDowell County residents have tested positive for novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The initial investigation reveals the source of transmission to be both unknown, as well as, contact to other positives. Public health staff have already initiated an investigation and will be identifying close contacts to contain the spread of disease. To protect individual privacy, no further information about the case will be released.

This brings the total number of positives to 38 in McDowell County. There have been 744 people tested, 648 negative results and 58 tests are pending results. Currently, there are 9 individuals in quarantine, 28 out of quarantine and 1 death.

2:50 p.m.

Burke County is currently at 251 positive cases.

The cases consist of traveling, congregate living, and community spread.

All positive cases are isolated and Public Health staff continues to investigate the cases and will be locating those close contacts to help contain the spread of the infection.

2 p.m.

All 15 Bad Daddy’s restaurants in North Carolina are set to reopen their dining rooms tomorrow, May 22, at 5 p.m. Their hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The restaurants are reopening under the following requirements:

• Bad Daddy’s will follow all guidelines & recommendations from the local, state, & federal governments as well as the CDC.
• Prior to reopening a dining room, Bad Daddy’s will perform an intense and thorough cleaning & sanitizing of the entire restaurant.
• Bad Daddy’s will regularly disinfect all surfaces and will sanitize every table after every guest departs.
• Managers & staff will be required to wear masks & gloves, which will be provided by Bad Daddy’s.
• All staff will receive a health screening prior to returning to work and before every shift.
• Bad Daddy’s will rearrange its dining areas and all seating areas to achieve and maintain the 6-feet social distancing guidelines. Bad Daddy’s will also mark its floors with tape to clearly show guests where to stand when waiting. The tape on the floor also applies to the lobby, bar & restrooms.
• All tables will have a max of 6 guests at a time.
• All menus will be single-use only.
• All caddies, paper towels and condiments will be removed from all tables. Bad Daddy’s will bring out sanitized salt & pepper shakers as well as single-use mustard & ketchup upon request. Wrapped straws will also be provided upon request.
• Pens used for signing credit card receipts will be sanitized after every use.

1:05 p.m.

NCDHHS Announces First Reported Case of MIS-C in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting its first case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19.

While children generally experience mild symptoms with COVID-19, recently a possible link has been found between COVID-19 and a serious inflammatory disease in some children and teenagers who have current or recent infections. The first reports of this syndrome came from the United Kingdom in late April. Cases in the United States were first reported in New York City in early May.

NCDHHS has requested reporting of suspected cases of MIS-C from all health care providers. The Department is also monitoring for possible cases using existing surveillance systems and will include this in the weekly surveillance report going forward. To protect the family’s privacy, the patient’s age and other specific information about the case will not be released.

MIS-C is a very rare condition, but as COVID-19 cases increase, additional reports of MIS-C could follow. Because children with this syndrome may become seriously ill, it is important that parents and caregivers know the signs and symptoms their children may have so they can get help right away.

Most children with MIS-C have fever (temperature of 100.4 degrees F or 38.0 degrees C or greater) lasting several days, along with other symptoms. Other common symptoms include:

• Irritability or decreased activity
• Abdominal pain without another explanation
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Rash
• Conjunctivitis (red or pink eyes)
• Poor feeding
• Red, cracked lips or red, bumpy tongue that looks like a strawberry
• Swollen hands and feet, which might also be red

Call your child’s doctor immediately if your child has a persistent fever plus any of the above symptoms. The doctor will ask about your child’s symptoms and use that information to recommend next steps. If your child is severely ill, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately.

MIS-C is not contagious, but children with these symptoms could have COVID-19 or another infection that may be contagious. Parents and caregivers should take precautions to prevent spread, and health care providers will use infection control precautions when treating your child.

Information about MIS-C cases in North Carolina will be updated each week in the surveillance summary on the NCDHHS COVID-19 website and data will be shared with the CDC to help track MIS-C nationally. Additional information will be shared as more is learned about this condition.

All adults and children should take steps to protect themselves from COVID-19. Adults and children over the age of two who can reliably wear a face covering should wear one whenever they are in public. Even when wearing a face covering, try to cough or sneeze into your elbow and practice not touching your face.

Everyone can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practicing the 3 Ws: Wear. Wait. Wash. Wear a cloth face covering, wait at least six feet apart to maintain social distancing and wash hands regularly or use hand sanitizer.

For more information on MIS-C related to COVID-19, visit the CDC website at https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2020/han00432.asp.

11:15 a.m.

NCDHHS has released updated data on COVID-19 for the state:

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reporting 20,910 cases of COVID-19 across the state, up 788 from Wednesday.

There have been 14 new deaths attributed to COVID-19 since Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 716. NCDHHS reported that 578 people remain hospitalized and 290,645 tests have been completed. The state reported 13,042 total tests were done in the past 24 hours, which is above the state’s benchmark to test between 5,000 and 7,000 people every day.

Mecklenburg County continues to lead the state in both cases and deaths with at least 2,894 and 70 respectively.

On Wednesday, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said that while North Carolina is in a good spot with many of its key indicators, the continued increase of daily cases is concerning.

“The virus is here in our communities across the state,” Cohen said. “I would have liked to see this trend starting to level, but it has not done that.”

COVID-like syndromic ER visits -- an early indicator of caseload in the state -- has been steadily decreasing. The percentage of positive tests out of total tests was decreasing and remains level.

Though hospitalizations have spiked in recent days, they are mostly level and Cohen said the state has the capacity to treat more patients should cases spike.

Confirmed cases by age:

0-17 (5%)

18-24 (9%)

25-49 (43%)

50-64 (24%)

65-74 (9%)

75 or older (10%)

COVID-19 deaths by age:

25-49 (4%)

50-64 (12%)

65-74 (21%)

75 or older (63%)

Cases by race:

White: 54%

Black: 32%

Cases by gender:

Women: 51%

Men: 49%

(Men account for 51% of deaths)

Cases and deaths in congregate living settings:

There have been 81 outbreaks in nursing homes across the state, resulting in 2,774 cases and 383 deaths (Anson, Burke (2); Cabarrus (2); Catawba; Cleveland; Iredell; Mecklenburg (9); Rowan (4); Union (2))

There have been 35 outbreaks at residential care facilities across the state, resulting in 576 cases and 56 deaths (Cabarrus (2); Mecklenburg (6); Stanly; Union).

10:50 a.m.

Juveniles Test Negative for COVID-19 at Two NC Facilities; Testing Underway at Third Facility Following Staff Self-Reports of COVID-19 Infection

Following testing earlier this week, children at two state juvenile justice facilities have tested negative for COVID-19; testing of juveniles at a third facility will take place today. This testing is occurring after a staff member at each facility reported that they tested positive for the coronavirus.

On Monday, Juvenile Justice officials provided coronavirus testing to all children at Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center in Concord, where a staff member last Friday self-reported a positive COVID-19 test result. Results received this morning show that all 87 of the juveniles in the facility tested negative for COVID-19.

One unit of juveniles at Chatham Youth Development Center in Siler City that was potentially exposed to a COVID-19 infected staff member was themselves tested earlier this week for the coronavirus; test results for the children were negative for COVID-19. A direct care staff member at Chatham YDC self-reported a positive COVID-19 test result on May 18. The employee was last at work on May 9, following notification to facility management of a potential exposure to the coronavirus. The individual’s COVID-19 test swab was taken and sent to a lab for processing on May 15. Out of the total 24 children at Chatham YDC, only one unit of four children was tested, since the employee who tested positive for COVID-19 worked only with that unit.

All 19 juveniles at Edgecombe Youth Development Center in Rocky Mount are undergoing COVID-19 testing today after a staff member there tested positive for the coronavirus. A direct care staff member at Edgecombe YDC self-reported testing positive for the coronavirus. Positive test results were reported to the facility by the employee on May 18. The Juvenile Justice employee has been off the job since May 10, following notification to facility management of a potential exposure to the coronavirus. On May 13, the individual’s COVID-19 test swab was taken and sent to a lab for processing.

The Juvenile Justice section is following guidelines from the CDC and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in conducting contact tracing and notification procedures, as well as quarantine and cleaning protocols. Staff members determined to have had close contact with these individuals per CDC definition will undergo quarantine and testing.

The staff members at all YDCs have been offered COVID-19 testing through an initiative announced last week for free, confidential and convenient testing to all employees of the Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. Stonewall Jackson YDC employs 189 people, 75 people are employed at Edgecombe YDC employs, and 73 staff work at Chatham YDC. YDC employees serve in roles such as direct care, education, administration and maintenance.

To date, there have been no confirmed COVID-19 infections of children in North Carolina's Juvenile Justice facilities. It is important to note that social distancing is possible within juvenile detention centers and youth development centers. Juvenile detention centers, and individual living units within youth development centers, are comprised of a common area used for meals and recreation, along with individual rooms for each juvenile.

“We are pleased that all juvenile test results we have received so far have come back negative,” said William Lassiter, deputy secretary for Juvenile Justice. “I thank the frontline heroes in our facilities who have implemented and have been following the strict policies and procedures we have developed to reduce the opportunities for the potential spread of the virus. These measures and their hard work protect the health and well-being of our staff, and the children who are in our care.”

Some operational changes in the Juvenile Justice section since mid-March have included:

• Suspending visitation and volunteer activities at all juvenile justice facilities, until conditions are deemed safe. All non-essential volunteers, contractors, and vendors are prohibited from entry. Contractors/staff undergo screening procedures prior to entry.
• Placing all juvenile detention center/crisis and assessment center admissions in medical room confinement for up to 14 days or until cleared by a medical provider to join the general population.
• Screening all juveniles prior to transportation. If a juvenile is feverish or has a respiratory illness, the juvenile shall not be transported.
• Placing into medical room confinement all juveniles in secure custody with symptoms while investigating the source of their medical issues and during provision of medical care. This is being done to prevent the spread of coronavirus if it emerges in the population.
• Rescheduling all non-critical off-site medical appointments.
• Presenting specific educational information and training at facilities for staff members and youths around COVID-19 safety precautions including washing of hands, social distancing, information about how the coronavirus is transmitted and wearing of face masks.
• Posting informational literature in all facilities to stress the washing of hands and other preventive measures juveniles, staff and visitors can take to reduce the spread of diseases.
• Decreasing the number of youths in detention through the utilization of electronic monitoring.
• Suspending home visits for youth committed to a youth development center and deferring the requirement that a juvenile complete all pre‐release home visits before being released from a youth development center.
• Increasing the number of phone calls permitted between juveniles and their families.
• Increasing the use of telehealth services, to include the provision of mental health services at detention in addition to youth development centers.
• Handling necessary court hearings via videoconference.

Here is additional information for DPS Actions in Juvenile Justice.

10:25 a.m.

Issues New Order and Emergency Directives Expanding North Carolina Court Operations

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley today issued new emergency orders about court operations across North Carolina. The orders extend some filing deadlines, postpone jury trials, and require in-person court operations to take place with some defined restrictions to ensure safety protocols like social distancing and routine cleaning take place.

“Court is going to look different for a while. Dockets will be smaller. Cases will be heard online. We’re going to have to socially distance in the courthouse,” said Chief Justice Beasley. “North Carolinians are resilient and resourceful, and we approach our challenges with a spirit of cooperation and innovation that I know will carry us through the challenging days ahead.”

Under the orders entered today, some deadlines for filings and other required actions have been extended to July 31.

• Filing deadlines for criminal matters are extended until July 31.
• Filings due pursuant to statutes of limitation or repose are extended until July 31.
• Filings and actions due in civil matters that had been previously extended are due June 1.

The Chief Justice has also placed a number of restrictions on in-person proceedings to avoid crowded courtrooms and allow for social distancing:

• No session of court may be scheduled if it would result in the public being crowded into courtrooms or waiting in close proximity without social distancing.
• Senior Resident Superior Court Judges are directed to have courtroom seating and all areas where lines form marked with six-foot intervals.
• They must also ensure that public areas of the courthouse are cleaned throughout the day and that hand sanitizer is provided at every entrance and exit.

Local courts are required to have seating and waiting areas clearly marked in six-foot intervals, establish maximum occupancies for courtrooms, and ensure that hand sanitizer and cleaning services are provided. Many of these steps will require cooperation and support from county governments who own and manage the court facilities.

The Chief Justice also ordered that no jury trials will be held until August while the court system works to identify alternatives to allow those trials to be safely conducted.

• Jury trials are postponed through at least the end of July.
• Senior Resident Superior Court Judges are also directed to assess local court facilities to determine whether juries can be convened with social distancing. If not, they must secure alternate facilities for jury trials.

The orders also include several measures to limit in-person contact between the public and the staff of local clerk of court offices. Filings by mail are encouraged and clerks may require filings be dropped off rather than submitted face-to-face at a service counter. Access to public records must be provided, but clerks may require appointments and limit hours. To encourage filing by mail, a 5-day grace period will be provided for documents delivered by mail.

• Encourage filings by mail
• Grace period of 5 business days for filings submitted by mail
• Clerks must accept filings and provide access to records during business hours
• May use a secure, physical dropbox for filings
• May require appointments and limit hours for public access

In addition, the Supreme Court of North Carolina entered an order on May 14 that made changes to several rules in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Court calendars may be published with less advanced notice.
• Attorneys may designate additional secured leave from the court.
• Judges will receive continuing education credit for online courses.

Information about specific county operations is available on the court system’s website at NCcourts.gov. The public can use online tools on the website to check for upcoming court dates, sign up for court date reminders, and pay or dismiss traffic tickets.

9:15 a.m.

CATS confirms that two light rail operators, two paratransit operators and one bus operator have tested positive for COVID-19. No other information was released.

8:30 a.m.

Another 2.4 million workers seek jobless aid, raising total layoffs since virus struck to nearly 39 million

More than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession.

Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday.

An additional 2.2 million people sought aid under a new federal program for self-employed, contractor and gig workers, who are now eligible for jobless aid for the first time. These figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal variations, so the government doesn’t include them in the overall number of applications

The continuing stream of heavy job cuts reflects an economy that is sinking into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated this week that the economy is shrinking at a 38% annual rate in the April-June quarter. That would be by far the worst quarterly contraction on record.

Nearly half of Americans say that either their incomes have declined or they live with another adult who has lost pay through a job loss or reduced hours, the Census Bureau said in survey data released Wednesday More than one-fifth of Americans said they had little or no confidence in their ability to pay the next month’s rent or mortgage on time, the survey found.

During April, U.S. employers shed 20 million jobs, eliminating a decade’s worth of job growth in a single month. The unemployment rate reached 14.7%, the highest since the Depression. Millions of other people who were out of work weren’t counted as unemployed because they didn’t look for a new job.

Since then, 10 million more laid-off workers have applied for jobless benefits. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in an interview Sunday that the unemployment rate could peak in May or June at 20% to 25%.

Across industries, major employers continue to announce job cuts. Uber said this week that it will lay off 3,000 employees, on top of 3,700 it has already cut, because demand for its ride-hailing services has plummeted. Vice, a TV and digital news organization tailored for younger people, announced 155 layoffs globally last week.

Digital publishers Quartz and BuzzFeed, magazine giant Conde Nast and the company that owns the business-focused The Economist magazine also announced job cuts last week.

6:25 a.m.

TSA prepared for summer travelers with updated security procedures

With the Memorial Day holiday weekend kicking off the start of summer, the Transportation Security Administration is preparing a very different travel season given the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. TSA has implemented changes to the security screening process that reduce the potential for cross-contamination at the security checkpoint in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. TSA has already begun implementation of these changes – with more to be implemented at airport checkpoints nationwide by mid-June.

“In the interest of TSA frontline workers and traveler health, TSA is committed to making prudent changes to our screening processes to limit physical contact and increase physical distance as much as possible,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “We continue to evaluate our security measures with an eye towards making smart, timely decisions benefiting health and safety, as well as the traveler experience.”

Over the past couple of weeks, TSA has experienced a steady growth of travelers coming through airport checkpoints. As procedure changes begin to rollout in the coming weeks, travelers should expect to:

Keep possession of their boarding passes. Instead of handing their boarding pass to a TSA officer at the travel document podium, travelers should now place their boarding pass (paper or electronic) on the boarding pass reader themselves. After scanning, travelers should hold their boarding pass toward the TSA officer to allow the officer to visually inspect it. This change reduces the TSA officer’s need to touch a passenger’s boarding pass thus reducing potential for cross-contamination.

Separate food for X-ray screening. Passengers should place their carry-on food items into a clear plastic bag and place that bag into a bin. Food items often trigger an alarm during the screening process; separating the food from the carry-on bag lessens the likelihood that a TSA officer will need to open the carry-on bag and remove the food items for a closer inspection. This requirement allows social distancing, reduces the TSA officer’s need to touch a person’s container of food and reduces potential for cross-contamination. TSA Precheck members do not need to remove items from their bags.

Pack smart. Passengers should take extra care to ensure that they do not have any prohibited items, such as liquids, gels or aerosols in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces, in their carry-on bags (water bottles, shampoo). In response to COVID-19, TSA is allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags. Passengers are required to remove the hand sanitizer from the carry-on bag before being submitted for x-ray screening. If a bag is found to contain a prohibited item, passengers may be directed to return to the divestiture table outside of security with their carry-on bags to remove the item and dispose of the item. The passenger may also be directed back outside of security to remove, items that should have originally been divested (such as laptops, liquids, gels, and aerosols, and large electronics) and resubmit their property for X-ray screening. By resolving alarms in this manner, TSA officers will need to touch the contents inside a carry-on bag much less frequently, reducing the potential for cross-contamination.

Practice social distancing. Passengers should allow for social distancing to reduce direct contact between employees and travelers whenever possible without compromising security. Noticeable adjustments leading up to the security checkpoint include, increasing the distance between individuals as they enter the security checkpoint, placing visual reminders of appropriate spacing on checkpoint floors and staggering the use of lanes where feasible. No two airports are alike, so this could look a little different at each airport.

Wear facial protection. TSA officers at checkpoints are now using facial protection. Travelers are encouraged to wear face protection to the checkpoint as well. Please note, however, passengers may need to adjust it during the screening process. Travelers are also encouraged to remove items such as belts, and items from their pockets, like wallets, keys and phones, and put them directly into their carry-on bags instead of into the bins to reduce touch-points during the screening process.

Travelers who have not flown since the pandemic are also likely to notice some other changes. They include:

• Reduced security lane usage due to the reduction in passenger volume.
• All TSA officers at checkpoints wearing masks and gloves.
• TSA officers optionally wearing eye protection and clear plastic face shields at some locations.
• TSA officers will continue the practice of changing gloves after each pat-down.
• Plastic shielding installed at many travel document checking podiums, divest, bag search and drop off locations.
• TSA officers practicing social distancing.
• Routine cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces in the screening checkpoint area.

Many airlines and airports are also providing specific COVID-19 related guidance to travelers; please check with your airline prior to your trip. Travelers are encouraged to arrive at the airport early as COVID-19 has affected staffing and operations across the airport environment. This will allow adequate time for checking bags, completing security screening and getting to the departure gate. Individuals who were traveling in the early months of the pandemic became accustomed to arriving at the security checkpoint shortly before their flight departure time. TSA recommends that travelers no longer do so (or arrive well in advance of their flight) since more people are flying and new procedures such as social distancing have been implemented in airports, potentially adding time to the pre-flight experience.

For more information on the TSA security screening process during the pandemic, visit www.tsa.gov/coronavirus.

6 a.m.

THURSDAY STORYLINES:

We’re here every day to bring you the latest news during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what you need to know to start your day:

The latest weekly unemployment numbers will be coming out later this morning. The New York Times reports the total will likely top 39 million total claims. A recent census bureau survey found almost half of adults say they or a member of their household lost their job since mid-March, and nearly 40% expect the loss to continue into next month.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will visit the Charlotte area today. He’ll visit Atrium’s COVID-19 testing site at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. After that, Azar will speak to local health care leaders to learn what the state is doing to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

More big retailers, like Macy’s and Kohls, are reopening in the Charlotte area today, and they’ve made some major changes to keep you safe. If you go out, you’ll notice changes for employees and customers, like sanitizing stations and enhanced cleaning.

North Carolina will be making its much-anticipated move into Phase 2 of reopening the state on Friday. The phase is a step toward normalcy for the state’s economy, but doesn’t open everything and retains several health and safety measures from Phase 1.

On Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a new Executive Order that lifts the stay-at-home order, but proposes a “Safer-At-Home” plan. Gyms, health clubs, bars and nightclubs must remain closed under the new order.

Cooper explained that recent data and metrics compelled them to “back off” further lifting restrictions.

New guidance provided by state officials requires restaurants to operate at 50 percent capacity and have all staff wear masks or face coverings, among other mandates and recommendations. Phase 2 is scheduled to begin Friday at 5 p.m.

In Wilkesboro, 570 workers at a Tyson Foods poultry plant tested positive for COVID-19. The majority of the impacted workers did not show symptoms. In April, Sampson County health officials found a COVID-19 outbreak at Smithfield Packing Company in Clinton. There have also been coronavirus-related complaints at a Smithfield Foods Plant in Tar Heel.

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