NC reports biggest jump in new daily cases since winter

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina on Thursday reported the most new daily cases of COVID-19 since the winter.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 5,900 new cases Thursday -- the highest single-day jump since the winter, excluding a recent reporting issue.

This marked the third time within the last week the state has reported more than 5,000 new cases, but officials did note that Sunday’s report of 6,892 new cases was artificially higher because of delayed reporting.

Despite Thursday’s high case count, NCDHHS data appears to show the 7-day rolling average dipped slightly. Channel 9 has reached out to the state for clarity on that.

Hospitalizations are also increasing across the state, with 2,409 people currently in the hospital fighting COVID-19 -- an increase of 105 from the day before.

On Tuesday, NCDHHS reported the largest single-day jump in hospital ICU admissions since the beginning of the pandemic. Since then the number has steadily risen with 607 adults currently in the ICU. 315 of those people were admitted within the last 24 hours.

The percentage of positive tests has remained above 10% for more than a week, though Thursday’s report shows it dropped slightly from 12.5% the day before to 11.3%.

So far this week, the NCDHHS has reported more than 36,276 vaccine doses administered. About 58% of North Carolina’s adult population is fully vaccinated.

In all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people wear masks in indoor public settings, even if they’re already vaccinated, due to substantial or high transmission rates.

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