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COVID hospitalizations in NC drop for 12th consecutive day

Ben Sessoms
·3 min read

North Carolina reported 1,319 COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide Monday, the 12th consecutive day that hospitalizations have decreased in the state.

It’s also the fewest reported since Nov. 11.

Typically, the state Department of Health and Human Services will update the state’s coronavirus metrics every day, but DHHS did not update the dashboard on Sunday.

Therefore, the changes in COVID metrics reported on Monday are changes over the last two days since Saturday.

Since Saturday, DHHS has reported 3,622 new cases. Of those, 1,466 were reported from the past day, the lowest daily total since Nov. 2.

DHHS has added 42 deaths to the state’s coronavirus death toll since Saturday. As of Monday, 11,254 North Carolinians have died due to the virus.

Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. DHHS updates its numbers as information becomes available. According to the latest DHHS data, the deadliest day of the pandemic was Jan. 15 when 120 people died. This total has changed several times over the last two weeks.

Since the new year, 3,582 people have died due to the virus in North Carolina, according to the latest DHHS data.

Among COVID-19 tests reported Friday and Saturday, the latest days with available data, 4.5% and 5.5% were positive respectively.

State health officials have said that they want the rate at 5% or lower to control the spread of the virus. The state has met that mark three out of the past five days.

But over the week before Saturday, the average percent positive per day is still above the goal at 5.4%.

New vaccine to hit NC this week

More than 80,000 doses of a third vaccine are expected to arrive in North Carolina this week, DHHS reported in a press release Monday.

The vaccine, developed by Johnson & Johnson, was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday.

“A third COVID-19 vaccine means North Carolina can get more people vaccinated sooner, which will save lives and slow the spread,” DHHS secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said in the press release.

Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation. Here are additional statistics reported Monday, with changes from Saturday*:

  • Total cases: 862,170 (+3,622)

  • Deaths: 11,254 (+42)

  • Tests: 10,291,482 (+77,621)

  • People hospitalized: 1,319 (-95)

  • COVID-19 adult ICU patients: 333 (-17)

  • Available ICU beds: 640 (+118)

  • Available inpatient beds: 6,187 (+1,262)

  • Patients on ventilators: 903 (-12)

Inpatient and ICU beds are not all used by COVID-19 patients, according to DHHS.

*The change in totals are those newly reported over the last two days as DHHS did not update its COVID-19 dashboard on Sunday. Typically the state will update its COVID-19 metrics every day.

Vaccine statistics reported Monday:

  • First doses arrived: 1,475,370

  • First doses administered: 1,433,356 (97%)

  • Second doses arrived: 870,575

  • Second doses administered: 834,852 (96%)

Vaccine doses administered in North Carolina through the federal, long-term care program:

  • First doses arrived: 145,900

  • First doses administered: 121,590 (83%)

  • Second doses arrived: 145,900

  • Second doses administered: 82,875 (57%)

Across the state, a total of 2,472,673 doses have been administered.