COVID-19 in the Carolinas: NC surpasses 100,000 positive cases

More than 100,000 people in North Carolina have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak in March.

New numbers released Monday from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services listed the number of laboratory-confirmed cases at 101,046. That’s an increase of 1,268 from Sunday.

The state reported 29,024 more completed tests, raising the number of completed tests up to 1,423,888.

The number of patients currently in the hospital (1,086) decreased by 29, while the number of people who died from the virus (1,642) increased by eight.

The percentage of tests that came back positive on July 19 was at 7%. That is the lowest percent positive in more than a month.

However, that number can change as more tests taken on that day are reported to the system in the coming days and weeks.

>> Have questions about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the Carolinas? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak -- CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Note: The numbers we show you every day mean everything in how our community recovers from coronavirus -- both in terms of healthcare and the economy -- but they don’t mean much without the proper context and as much transparency as possible.

New cases vary day by day based on a lot of factors. That can include how long it takes to get results back, so a new case reported today can really be several days old.

The other big metric we watch is the percent of positive cases. This is data we can only get from the state because it’s not as simple as factoring a percent of new cases each day from the number of tests. That’s because test results take days and come from a variety of places.

The NCDHHS has unveiled an updated COVID-19 dashboard that includes more granular information about hospital capacity and hospitalization trends, both statewide and broken down by region. The new hospitalization data provide more insight into North Carolina’s hospital capacity in the COVID-19 pandemic.

New hospitalization-related indicators added to the COVID-19 Dashboard include hospitalizations by regions, trends in inpatient and ICU bed utilization over time and a breakdown of hospitalizations by suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. NCDHHS surveys hospitals across North Carolina daily through the Healthcare Preparedness Program, which is used to assess hospital capacity during disasters and emergencies such as COVID-19 and recently switched to a more automated system which has allowed for tracking of more detailed information.

Additional data reported through the interactive COVID-19 Dashboard include:

• Case and death counts searchable by county and ZIP code;
• Case counts by date reported or date of specimen collection;
• County map of ongoing outbreaks in congregate living settings; and
• Rollover functions to see daily numbers.

The COVID-19 Dashboard can be accessed here.

MONDAY STORYLINES:

If you’re struggling to put food on the table, we want you to know about an important resource. Loaves and Fishes will have its Mobile Food Pantry at two different locations Monday.

From 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., it will be at 201 Stetson Drive in Charlotte. Then from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m., it will be at the Goodwill Campus on Wilkinson Boulevard. People have to be referred by a doctor, case worker, church or school in order to shop at a Loaves and Fishes.

Rowan County continues to offer free COVID-19 testing for anyone who thinks they need it. Testing is happening today at the West End Plaza on Jake Alexander Boulevard in Salisbury from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

If you can’t make it Monday, more testing is being offered Tuesday at the Northern Rowan Family Medicine Practice in Spencer. That is happening from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

Report: Nearly 200,000 NC residents have signed up for SNAP benefits since pandemic began Report: Nearly 200,000 NC residents have signed up for SNAP benefits since pandemic began

South Carolina sets one-day coronavirus case record with 2,335

South Carolina on Sunday reported the most newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases in a single day since the pandemic started.

But whether the number of people in the hospital from the virus continues to climb isn’t known publicly as the state follows a federal request to change how it reports and who it reports hospitalizations to.

Health officials reported 2,335 newly diagnosed people with COVID-19.

South Carolina has reported 2,000 new cases three times since the virus was first detected in the state in March. All have been in the past eight days.

Health officials also reported 19 new deaths Sunday, bringing the death toll to 1,138 people.

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Cox Media Group