RALEIGH, N.C. — Here are the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in North Carolina and across the globe:
What you need to know:
Map of current NC cases
Latest updates:
9:08 p.m.: Robeson County is reporting two additional COVID-19 cases, bringing its total to 22. The patients are a 29-year-old female who is a household contact of a previously reported person with COVID-19. She is at home. The other case is a 43-year-old male who is employed at a worksite where another employee tested positive for COVID-19.
Earlier Friday, Robeson County reported 20 cases.
8:30 p.m.: North Carolina recorded 25 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, far surpassing the highest daily death total in the state during the pandemic. Eighteen virus-related deaths were recorded on Wednesday. Overall, 181 people statewide have died from the virus, with nearly 6,200 infections. About 500 people have reportedly recovered from their infections.
6:50 p.m.: Vice President Mike Pence said the U.S. has enough coronavirus testing supplies to meet the needs for states looking to begin reopening their economies under the Trump administration's three-phase plan.
6:40 p.m.: Durham County health officials reported several more coronavirus cases at local nursing homes. Durham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center now has 82 case, while Treyburn Rehabilitation Center has 11 cases and Durham VA Healthcare System Community Nursing Home has four.
6:30 p.m.: People will soon be required to wear masks or other face covering in Durham County when in stores or other places where "social distancing" is impossible, according to a revised stay-at-home order. No one will be removed from or denied entry to public transit for failure to wear a face covering, officials said in a news release.
"While it doesn't take the place of social distancing, wearing facial covering certainly plays a big part in reducing the spread of the virus," Durham Mayor Steve Schewel said in the release.
The order takes effect at midnight Monday.
New rules for farmers markets and real estate agents, including banning open houses and in-person showings of occupied homes, took effect Friday evening.
6:25 p.m.: President Donald Trump said $19 billion in aid will help U.S. farmers hurt by the pandemic. The program will include direct monetary support as well as mass purchases of meat, dairy and produce, he said.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program has $16 billion in direct payments, and the USDA will distribute $3 billion in agricultural goods to food banks and other nonprofits that serve the needy.
5:40 p.m.: A sixth resident of Louisburg Nursing Center has died of coronavirus-related complications. The facility is one of four nursing homes in the Triangle with multiple virus deaths.
5:05 p.m.: The number of coronavirus cases at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro has spiked again, to 267 cases from the 149 announced earlier Friday.
The state Department of Public Safety tested all 700 inmates in the prison this week because of a growing outbreak. All staffers also were offered tests.
The prison accounts for about three-quarters of the 378 virus cases in Wayne County.
5 p.m.: The coronavirus has now killed more people in North Carolina than the seasonal flu: 181 versus 167. That milestone comes as the state passes the 6,000 mark in infections statewide.
4:55 p.m.: University of North Carolina Board of Governors members said Friday that the coronavirus pandemic has created major budget problems across the 17-campus system.
Chairman Randy Ramsey said the universities have lost revenue from housing charges and diving services, as well as athletic receipts. The UNC system is getting approximately $160 million in aid through the federal CARES Act., but about half of that must go to students.
"The funds from the federal government and what further funding we might be able to receive from the state government are not going to cover all the shortfalls in revenue and the additional expenses," UNC Interim President Dr. Bill Roper said. "But we're deeply grateful for the help we have gotten and the help we'll get in the future."
The Board of Governors also has put the search for a permanent president on hold during the pandemic, Ramsey said.
4:45 p.m.: For the first time in 50 years, superheroes, villains and other characters will not gather in San Diego in July. Comic-Con International organizers canceled the event because of the pandemic. Also, the city's convention center, which normally hosts the event, is currently being used as a homeless shelter.
3:55 p.m.: A fifth inmate has died of coronavirus-related complications at the federal prison in Butner. Fabian Tinsley, 67, who was serving time for kidnapping and aggravated assault, went into respiratory failure on April 6 and was placed on a ventilator, prison officials said. He died Thursday.
Butner has the largest coronavirus outbreak in the federal prison system, with 66 inmates and 25 corrections workers testing positive.
3:40 p.m.: Residents of Longleaf Neuro-Medical Center, a nursing home in Wilson, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, Wilson County officials said. They provided no information on the number of cases or whether they are residents or staff.
Nursing homes have been a major concern in the outbreak, with dozens statewide reporting cases and four in the Triangle reporting multiple deaths.
2:40 p.m.: Texas is among the first U.S. states to announce dates for relaxing some pandemic-related restrictions, according to the Washington Post.
State parks will reopen Monday, but visitors will be required to wear face coverings, and Gov. Greg Abbott is encouraging retailers to start operating next Friday as "retail to go," in which customers would order ahead of time and pick up items curbside.
2:35 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper said construction projects, including roads and schools, through possible bond packages could help boost the state economy as North Carolina works its way back from the pandemic.
"Oftentimes, a crisis will put a spotlight on problems that already existed," Cooper said, noting that better access to health care and internet connectivity is needed across North Carolina, especially in rural areas.
2:30 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper said officials are looking at reopening certain regions of the state before others as the pandemic continues. He said it would be very hard to do it on a county-by-county basis as many people live in one county and work in another.
2:20 p.m.: Almost all of the infected prisoners at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro are showing no symptoms of COVID-19, the illness associated with the coronavirus, state Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks said.
2 p.m.: North Carolina is partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University and East Carolina University to expand coronavirus testing the in the state, Gov. Roy Cooper said.
Testing has increased by 88 percent in the last two weeks – more than 73,000 have been performed so far – but Cooper said more is needed to determine the extent of the virus in the state before any restrictions under the statewide stay-at-home order can be lifted.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said some parts of the state have excess testing capacity, while others don't have enough tests. A statewide solution is needed to ensure adequate testing can be done, she said.
"The goal is to get to widespread testing with quicker results," Cohen said.
Cooper also noted that more protective gear for health care providers and the general public is needed before easing restrictions. The federal government needs to help fill that equipment gap, he added.
"Easing restrictions here in our state without enough masks, gowns and gloves is like setting off on a three-day camping trip with enough food for just one night," he said. "We need all of these supplies to collect more samples and ensure hospitals and first responders have what they need."
1:40 p.m.: Surf City officials will reopen public beach access at 7 a.m. Saturday. Crews were removing barriers at all 36 public beach accesses on Friday. However, public parking and restrooms at the public beach accesses will remain closed as long as the statewide stay-at-home order is in effect, officials said.
Surf City also will reopen Soundside Park with limited access. The playground, pavilions and restrooms will remain closed, while the boat ramp and open space will be available for use. Parking will be limited to vehicles with boat trailers – no single vehicles will be allowed to park there.
Meanwhile, dozens of people rallied in Carolina Beach asking authorities to reopen the beach there. The group wants businesses and the beach to reopen while following CDC guidelines, but those who oppose reopening believe it could make the pandemic worse.
1:30 p.m.: The state Department of Health and Human Services held its first meeting with its Testing Surge Workgroup, which Gov. Roy Cooper and DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen have said would develop a plan to increase coronavirus testing, expand testing sites and options and address challenges, such as the availability of personal protective equipment.
In addition to DHHS administrators and staff, the following people are involved:
- LabCorp Senior Vice President Traci Butler
- Dr. Gerald Capraro, of Atrium Health and director of the clinical microbiology lab at Carolinas Pathology Group
- North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Executive Director Jay Campbell
- Azzie Conley, chief of DHHS' Acute and Home Care Licensure Certification Section
- Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories medical director Dr. Michael Datto
- Dr. Garett Franklin, of Cary Medical Group
- Old North State Medical Center President Dr. Charlene Green
- DHHS Assistant Secretary Jay Ludlam, who oversees the state Medicaid program
- Dr. Melissa Miller, of UNC Health and director of UNC's Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Microbiology Laboratories
- Quest Diagnostics Vice President Alan Myers
- Alamance County Public Health Director Stacie Saunders
- North Carolina Community Health Center Association Executive Director Chris Shank
12:20 p.m.: Nineteen nursing homes in New York state have each had at least 20 coronavirus-related deaths, according to The Associated Press.
12:05 p.m.: Fort Bragg officials said a civilian employee and a contractor who worked on post have died from coronavirus-related complications, marking the first deaths from the outbreak at Fort Bragg. Both were Cumberland County residents.
"We lost two valued members of our Fort Bragg community last night," Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with their families in their time of loss."
11:15 a.m.: The coronavirus outbreak at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro has mushroomed to 149 cases, officials said. The prison has reported only 19 cases as of Wednesday, but state Department of Public Safety officials decided to test all 700 inmates this week and offer tests to all staffers as well.
"The Wayne County Health Department is assisting the facility with this testing process, and these numbers will most likely continue to climb," county officials said in a news release.
11:10 a.m.: An employee at the Sanderson Farms poultry processing plant in St. Pauls has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Robeson County plant employs about 1,100 people.
A company spokesman said all employees are required to wear masks inside the plant, and the temperature of each employee is taken before the start of every shift. Extensive cleaning is done each weekend, as well as routine cleaning daily, he said.
11:05 a.m.: Travel and navigation app GasBuddy reports that six states – Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Illinois – have their lowest average gas prices in over a decade, with most seeing the lowest prices since the early 2000s as stay-at-home orders during the pandemic lead people to drive less.
11 a.m.: The state Department of Commerce has released North Carolina’s March employment figures. The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, increasing 0.8 percent from February.
The number of employed people decreased by 180,275 over the month of March, dropping to 4,751,781. The number unemployed people increased by 35,020 over the month to 217,626.
The state Division of Employment Services has promised to
triple its workforce to handle the crush of calls from people filing for unemployment benefits.
11:05 a.m.: Fayetteville City Councilman Johnny Dawkins has asked Mayor Mitch Colvin to end the city's pandemic-inspired curfew.
"It’s time to end the curfew. The vast majority of our citizens are responsible, and there is no need for this curfew," Dawkins wrote in a letter to Colvin. "Fayetteville is the Home of Heroes, and we want to be the first city in the state, to open our restaurants, our gyms, our hair salons, our barber shops and our other retail stores and establishments. Let our citizens show the world, during this slow, organized opening, that we will continue to be responsible, we will continue to “social distance”, we will continue to ask the Lord to protect us and we will continue to patronize the many businesses whose employees depend on us, for their livelihoods."
10:45 a.m.: Despite warnings that asthmatics were at higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus, asthma is showing up in only about 5 percent of New York State’s fatal COVID-19 cases.
10:30 a.m.: The Smithfield Foods meat processing plant in South Dakota is now the
single biggest source of coronavirus cases, with 518 employees testing positive. Another 126 people who are not employees became infected after coming into contact with someone who worked at the plant.
Smithfield closed the plant indefinitely on Wednesday, but despite the growing cluster of cases, the governor of South Dakota refuses to issue a stay-at-home order.
10 a.m.: A drastic worldwide trend of decreasing air pollution has been happening since lockdowns began. Pollution levels have remained low in Europe, with nitrogen-dioxide levels falling around 50 percent in some cities, according to the European Space Agency, which released images demonstrating the drop. Cities like Paris, Florence, Rome and Naples could be seen with significantly less pollution showing on maps compared with last year.
9:30 a.m.: Rapid COVID-19 tests that can provide results in an hour or less are being used at two hospitals in South Carolina. Previously, results often took 24 hours or more. Next week, two more hospitals in the state plan to begin utilizing these tests. The rapid results tests are primarily used for patients in the ER who are showing symptoms already.
9 a.m.: A new study shows paper towels may work better than jet dryers at actually removing the viruses. Scientists place harmless viruses on the hands of volunteers to simulate poorly washed hands. Then they used paper towels or jet dryers to dry them. Samples collected from clothes, doors, hands and phones showed much greater contamination when jet dryers were used.
8:55 a.m.: GoDurham is encouraging its riders to wear masks on its buses, in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that people cover their faces in public during the pandemic.
8:30 a.m.: Some beaches in Jacksonville, Fla., will reopen Friday evening, with some restrictions in place. Beaches will be open during certain hours to allow recreational exercises like swimming and surfing. Parks will also reopen, but places for large gatherings will remain closed.
8 a.m.: Military officials said nearly 1,000 soldiers have tested positive for the coronavirus, including active Army, National Guard and Reserve soldiers. Officials said there are testing procedures on at least two bases, and new recruits will continue to be trained in safe environments.
7:30 a.m.: Starbucks announced a plan to reopen stores soon. The company said it plans to gradually expand on a store-by-store basis, monitoring conditions and guidelines, and adapting as the current situation and location allows.
7 a.m.: Officials in Wuhan, China, have raised the coronavirus death toll by 50 percent after taking another look at their numbers and adding some revisions based on new data.
6:30 a.m.: U.S. stock futures
showed a significant increase Friday morning after a treatment drug for COVID-19 proves effective. The Dow Jones average was up 661 points, while NASDAQ was up 163 points.
A Chicago hospital treating patients with the drug Remdesivir in a trial found that patients were experiencing rapid recovery from severe symptoms.
6 a.m.: As part of
Operation Dragon Mask, Fort Bragg soldiers will create cloth masks with supplies donated by North Carolina State University and 3D printed plastic face shields to help address the critical shortage of protective equipment impacting medical workers.
5:30 a.m.: Starting Sunday, Wake County
churches can begin offering drive-in services, allowing congregations to gather, while remaining in their vehicles parked 6 feet apart. They can listen to the service through their car radios.
