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Here’s how North Carolina’s latest COVID-19 numbers compare to other Southeast states

North Carolina on Tuesday reported over 1,000 COVID-19-related hospitalizations for the first time since May 8 and a positivity rate of over 10.4% among coronavirus tests for the first time since Feb. 1.

How does that compare to other states in the Southeast?

With the third-highest population of the seven states, North Carolina fell towards the middle of the pack in terms of total cases, case rates, hospitalizations and deaths. Here’s a look at the numbers:

Population

Based on 2019 data, North Carolina has the third-highest population of the seven southeastern states, behind Florida and Georgia.

  • Florida: 21.48 million

  • Georgia: 10.62 million

  • North Carolina: 10.49 million

  • Virginia: 8.536 million

  • Tennessee: 6.829 million

  • South Carolina: 5.149 million

  • Alabama: 4.903 million

Current COVID-19 cases

As of Tuesday, states with higher populations tended to have more total COVID-19 cases. North Carolina has the third-highest population of and subsequently the third-highest number of total cases.

  • Florida: 2,518,296

  • Georgia: 1,141,877

  • North Carolina: 1,040,114

  • Tennessee: 872,018

  • Virginia: 691,081

  • South Carolina: 611,594

  • Alabama: 574,737

Florida now accounts for one in five new infections in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported. Hospitalizations in some areas of Florida are increasing at the fastest rate since the start of the pandemic.

There is less correlation in terms of population and cases per 100,000 people. North Carolina had the third lowest rate last week, per its state profile report on HealthData.gov.

  • Florida: 314

  • Georgia: 97

  • Tennessee: 93

  • Alabama: 92

  • North Carolina: 77

  • South Carolina: 66

  • Virginia: 45

However, North Carolina’s cases per 100,000 people went up significantly last week from the week prior, per the state profile report. Alabama, with the lowest population, saw the largest change in case rate.

  • Alabama: +130%

  • North Carolina and Tennessee: +99%

  • Virginia: +62%

  • Georgia: +61%

  • Florida: +58%

  • South Carolina: +16%

Virginia is the only state of the seven to be considered a moderate transmission level. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee are at substantial transmission levels, while Alabama and Florida are high transmission states.

Hospitalizations and deaths

North Carolina has had 13,600 deaths due to COVID-19 as of Tuesday, the third-highest of the seven states, according to The New York Times. Florida and Georgia, with the largest populations, have had the most.

  • Florida: 38,748

  • Georgia: 20,946

  • North Carolina: 13,600

  • Tennessee: 12,616

  • Virginia: 11,515

  • Alabama: 11,492

  • South Carolina: 9,883

North Carolina was right in the middle on Tuesday in terms of seven-day average hospitalizations. Alabama had the third highest despite having the smallest population, and Florida’s numbers are about 8.5 times higher than the second highest state.

  • Florida: 12,496

  • Georgia: 1,459

  • Alabama: 869

  • North Carolina: 834

  • Tennessee: 645

  • Virginia: 409

  • South Carolina: 374

Vaccination rates

Fifty-three percent of North Carolina’s 18 and older population has been fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, per the state report. That’s less than Virginia and Florida in the Southeast, and less than the national average of 60.1%.

  • Virginia: 64.7%

  • Florida: 57.9%

  • North Carolina: 53.0%

  • South Carolina: 49.5%

  • Tennessee: 48.1%

  • Georgia: 47.9%

  • Alabama: 42.3%

14-day change

Of note are the states’ 14-day changes in average cases and hospitalizations.

The two states with the smallest populations of the seven have had the highest percentage increase in cases over the last two weeks.

  • South Carolina: +248%

  • Alabama: +217%

  • Georgia: +208%

  • Tennessee: +207%

  • North Carolina: +194%

  • Virginia: +157%

  • Florida: +124%

Alabama and Florida led the states in terms of new hospitalizations over the last 14 days.

  • Alabama: +146%

  • Florida: +123%

  • South Carolina: +121%

  • Tennessee: +103%

  • Georgia: +90%

  • North Carolina: +87%

  • Virginia: +62%