Globe reaches 400K coronavirus deaths, 10% of NC coronavirus tests done this week are positive

Ten percent of the coronavirus tests done by the state have come back positive this week, according to the state's numbers.

Friday and Saturday both reached new record highs -- Saturday saw 1,300 new coronavirus cases.

Sunday, the state confirmed over 900 cases of the coronavirus. The state has been testing more people, an average of about 13,000 per day over the past two weeks.

As of Sunday, North Carolina has had a total of 35,546 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

Granville County alone had a spike of 100 confirmed positive cases in the past 24 hours, according to the state's numbers.

The rolling average of confirmed cases has been increasing steadily. As of Saturday, the rolling average of confirmed cases per day was 967. On May 31, that number was at 761.

Sunday morning, the death toll from the novel coronavirus hit 400,000, according to numbers from John's Hopkins. Globally, there have been around 6.9 million COVID-19 cases. The US has had the most number of coronavirus cases and deaths.

The US has seen a slow uptick in cases since Memorial Day due to people traveling and gathering in groups.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield told lawmakers he was worried Americans weren't following the agency's advice as states were reopening, and that's why cases continue to climb.

Crowds are also growing at places like the SpaceX launch, protests over the death of George Floyd, Redfield noted. All 50 states have been easing restrictions, even though Redfield said "not all states" have met White House criteria for reopening businesses.

As of Sunday morning, over 1.9 million people have tested positive for the virus, and at least 109,802 people have died. That's 34 deaths per 100,000 people. Experts say it's unclear how deadly the virus really is. The World Health Organizations estimates the death toll to be about 3.4%, while Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says it's at about 2%.

1,000+ lives lost in North Carolina to coronavirus

The damage to the economy that resulted from the statewide moves to contain the virus has been devastating as well.

Although some economic activity has been allowed to restart, bars and gyms remain closed, and restaurants, salons and retail are operating under continued limits.

Large gatherings, marches and protests that have exploded across the country in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in police custody add another layer of concern. With so many people mingling, many without face coverings, the state expects another surge in coronavirus infections.

But, despite the CDC's recommendation to limit mass gatherings, thousands gathered in Raeford for the public viewing and memorial of George Floyd on Saturday.

"If you are protesting, or at a mass gathering a lot, we want to make sure folks do get tested and know that that is available to them," she said.

Even with protective measures, being in a crowd increases your chances of exposure, she said.