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Coronavirus coverage in North Carolina, April 22, 2020: NC tops 30 deaths, adds nearly 400 cases in single day

Here are the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in North Carolina and across the globe.

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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:

Where are cases, deaths in NC?

Latest updates:

9:15 p.m.: A Durham County resident over 65 years old and with other health problems has become the 31st coronavirus-related death reported in North Carolina on Wednesday, the highest total yet in the pandemic. Overall, 273 people have died from the virus statewide, and the state has topped 7,500 infections.
7:30 p.m.: Because the coronavirus has been found in different species, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it's not surprising that two pet cats in New York state have been found with the virus. It's easy for the virus to move from an infected person to an animal, he said, but there's no evidence that pets can then pass the virus along to other humans.
7:15 p.m.: Three workers in The Fresh market store in Southern Pines have tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said. Two of the cases were already in quarantine because they had been in close contact with the first worker.

The store was immediately cleaned after the first worker's test results, and the company has hired a professional cleaning firm to disinfect the store three nights a week, officials said. A sign was placed outside the store to notify customers of the virus cases, including the fact that the first worker hasn't been in the store since April 15.

7 p.m.: Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key White House adviser on the coronavirus pandemic, said the virus will return in the fall, but delaying reopening the economy will help limit that rebound.
6:40 p.m.: Harvard University, Stanford University and some large businesses are giving back the money they obtained under the Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to provide loans to small businesses to keep workers on the payroll during the pandemic, President Donald Trump said.
6:35 p.m.: A July 4th celebration will go off as planned on National Mall in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump said.
6:30 p.m.: President Donald Trump said he's told Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that he disagrees with the decision to reopen some businesses in that state, such as nail salons and gyms, on Friday. He said it's too soon for businesses where people are in close quarters.

"He must do what he thinks is right," Trump added, saying he wouldn't interfere with a governor's decision on how to handle the pandemic.

5:20 p.m.: The weekly average of new coronavirus cases in North Carolina has hit 300 per day, the highest so far in the pandemic. The rolling average of virus-related deaths also is at a high of 18 per day over the last week.
3:20 p.m.: Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee said there are no current plans for mass testing of inmates at state prisons.

Mass testing was performed recently at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, which found more than 400 of the 700 inmates there had been infected. Outbreaks have been reported at only 10 state prisons, with the second-largest being the 19 cases at Pasquotank Correction Institution in Elizabeth City.

3:05 p.m.: North Carolina has ordered $280 million in personal protective gear from various sources but has obtained only 5 percent of it, state Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said. The state has set up a system to vet potential vendors to ensure products are obtained from reliable sources, he said.
3 p.m.: Groups of business leaders are taking part in working groups assembled by Gov. Roy Cooper's administration – three groups are addressing large events, restaurants and other businesses – to discuss how best to start reopening the state's economy while maintaining social distancing and other guidelines to limit the spread of the coronavirus, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
2:55 p.m.: The State Health Plan has obtained more than 20,000 coronavirus tests to be able to test more than 16,000 corrections officers and other employees at the state’s 56 prisons over the next few weeks.

The state Department of Public Safety tested all inmates at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, which accounts for the vast majority of virus infections in the state prison system, but there has been no similar mass testing of prison workers.

"The outbreak at Neuse Correctional puts the dangers correctional employees face in true perspective," Ardis Watkins, executive director of the State Employees Association of North Carolina. "SEANC reached out to Treasurer [Dale] Folwell and the State Health Plan staff for a solution, and they were able to move mountains to make this happen. We appreciate their diligence and hope this testing will give these state employees peace of mind."

Charlotte-based Tryon Medical Partners, ECU Physicians and other providers will take the lead in testing DPS personnel, beginning with the 17 facilities that have at least one person testing positive. All costs associated with testing will be covered by the plan.

SEANC is working with the State Health Plan to consider conducting wider testing of state employees over the next few weeks.

2:50 p.m.: Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. They are the first pets in the United States to test positive for the virus. Infections have been reported in very few animals worldwide, mostly in those that had close contact with a person with COVID-19, officials said.
2:30 p.m.: Two staff members at Rocky Mount Rehabilitation Center have tested positive for the new coronavirus and are in isolation at home, officials said. No residents of the facility have tested positive.
2:20 p.m.: The pandemic has gotten Wake County residents to recycle more, officials said. Cardboard recycling jumped 45 percent from February to March, while mixed-material recycling went up by 20 percent, scrap metal recycling increased by 34 percent and recycling of major appliances rose by 50 percent.

"As we look at these numbers on Earth Day, we’re happy to say recycling is growing faster than trash," Solid Waste Director John Roberson said in a news release. "People are staying at home, getting a head start on spring cleaning, and they’re bringing unprecedented amounts of material to our convenience centers."

Wake County is asking residents to be patient as the increased volume, along with new requirements for social distancing and equipment cleaning, have led to delays. Some hours have been changed to improve the flow of visitors. Convenience centers, for instance, now open at noon Sundays.

2 p.m.: A majority of Americans say it's unlikely it will be safe enough to lift virus restrictions anytime soon, according to a poll by The Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago.
1:15 p.m.: Publix has launched an effort to purchase fresh produce and milk to assist farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The supermarket chain will then donate the food to Feeding America member food banks in its operating area. The initiative will support Florida produce farmers, Southeast dairy farmers and the growing number of families looking to Feeding America for fresh fruits, vegetables and milk during the pandemic, officials said.

"As a food retailer, we have the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the needs of families and farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic," Publix CEO Todd Jones said in a statement.

1:05 p.m.: Doctors are noting blood clots in a large number of people with COVID-19, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, according to the Washington Post. Some medical centers have begun giving all hospitalized COVID-19 patients small doses of blood thinners as preventive measures, and many are adjusting doses upward for the most seriously ill.

"One of the theories is that once the body is so engaged in a fight against an invader, the body starts consuming the clotting factors, which can result in either blood clots or bleeding. In Ebola, the balance was more toward bleeding. In COVID-19, it’s more blood clots," said Harlan Krumholz, a cardiac specialist at the Yale-New Haven Hospital Center.

1 p.m.: Tyson Foods is closing its largest pork plant as a growing number of workers become ill from coronavirus infections, according to CNN. The plant in Waterloo, Iowa, had already slowed production because many of its 2,800 workers had been calling out sick.

The company will continue paying its employees while the facility is closed, and the plant's 2,800 staff members will be invited to be tested for the virus later this week. The plant's reopening will depend on a number of factors, including the outcome of the tests, the company said.

12:20 p.m.: Six Durham County Sheriff's Office employees who work in the county jail have tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said. It's unclear whether any are detention officers.

"We do not have any cases of COVID-19 among the inmate population," spokeswoman AnnMarie Breen said in an email. "We have tested inmates, and all tests have come back negative for the virus."

All six staffers are now in isolation, Breen said, but she didn't say whether other staff are being quarantined as well until it's determined whether they've been infected.

12:15 p.m.: A Navy hospital ship will soon leave New York City. The USNS Comfort has been docked off Manhattan for three weeks, but it hasn't treated many patients – fewer than 100 of its 500 beds have been occupied – despite New York being the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.
After a Tuesday meeting with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, President Donald Trump said the ship will return to its home base in Norfolk, Va. The Pentagon said the Comfort's next mission will be determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
12:05 p.m.: An inmate at Pender Correctional Institution in Burgaw has died of coronavirus-related complications, becoming the first person in the state prison system to die of the virus, officials said.

The inmate was in his late 50s and had underlying health conditions, officials said. He exhibited symptoms of COVID-19, the illness associated with the coronavirus, on April 8 and was isolated from the rest of the inmates at Pender Correctional. He was hospitalized on April 13 and died Tuesday.

"The health and safety of the staff and the men and women in our custody is of paramount importance," Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee said in a statement.

Hundreds of state inmates have tested positive for the virus, with the bulk of cases at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro.

11:55 p.m.: South Carolina schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year, according to NBC affiliate WCNC in Charlotte.

"In this pandemic, we have been able to carry on very good instruction. Our buildings will not open for the rest of the year, but instruction will carry on," Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said.

Spearman said she's spoken to over 4,000 teachers statewide who are pleased with the state's plan to teach children during the pandemic.

North Carolina schools are scheduled to remain closed until May 15, but Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday he will announce updated guidance for schools this week.

11:40 a.m.: GoDurham is limiting the number of passengers allowed on each bus to 16 to make it easier to maintain social distancing on buses during the pandemic.

When the number of riders on a bus reaches 16, the operator may change the header/destination sign to “Bus Full” to alert riders on the street that they may need to wait for the next bus, officials said. Drivers also will stop and inform riders of the situation.

11:25 a.m.: Global carbon emissions are expected to fall 6 percent this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to CNN.

World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said it’s “short-term” good news for the environment, but won’t be enough to get the world back on track to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement targets.

The announcement comes on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

11 a.m.: According to the Harnett County Health Department, three cases of COVID-19 have been associated with Universal Healthcare Lillington, a nursing and rehabilitation center.
10:35 a.m.: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased its monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by 40 percent during the pandemic, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.

"These are unprecedented times for American families who are facing joblessness and hunger," Perdue said in a statement. "USDA is providing a 40% increase in SNAP benefits to ensure that low-income individuals have enough food to feed themselves and their families during this national emergency."

10:30 a.m.: Mountaire Farms, one of the several local poultry companies offering bulk chicken sales, has confirmed 11 cases of COVID-19 at its plant in Siler City and nine cases in the Lumber Bridge location.
10:20 a.m.: The state Department of Transportation has formed a public-private partnership that will use drones to deliver critical medical supplies and food during the coronavirus outbreak, starting in May.

WakeMed, UPS and Matternet are planning to start using a drone to shuttle miscellaneous supplies and equipment between WakeMed’s main hospital in Raleigh and the WakeMed Garner Healthplex. The shift will free up their delivery drivers to focus on materials needed to fight the pandemic, officials said.

In Holly Springs, Flytrex is planning to deliver food from multiple restaurants in a shopping center to nearby neighborhoods, helping people abide by stay-at-home orders.

"North Carolina has been a leader in demonstrating how drones can help people in times of crisis," Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette said in a statement. "We look forward to putting this technology into productive use as we work to help citizens and medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic."

10 a.m.: The CDC provided a critical warning, saying a second wave of COVID-19 is coming and might be even worse, according to the Washington Post. The wave could come next winter, and hospitals could become overwhelmed, as it coincides with flu season.

Right now, the U.S. has, by far, the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, topping 825,000 cases, and the country has had 45,000 deaths in less than eight weeks.

9:30 a.m.: The total number of unemployment claims in North Carolinafrom March 15 through April 21 has surpassed 700,000 – roughly 14% of the state's total civilian workforce.
9:10 a.m.: The state Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the state’s behavioral health response to the pandemic. The grant will support the agency’s efforts to address the growing needs of people with mental health issues and substance use disorder as it relates to the coronavirus crisis, along with the mental health needs of the general public and health care workers who are on the front lines of the pandemic.
9 a.m.: Two Californians died of coronavirus weeks before what was previously believed to have been the first U.S. death in the pandemic. The CDC has confirmed the new timeline for the pandemic death toll.

Santa Clara County officials said Tuesday the people died at home Feb. 6 and Feb. 17. Previously, the first U.S. death from the virus had been reported on Feb. 29 in Kirkland, Wash.

8:30 a.m.: McDonald's will provide a free meal to workers on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic until May 5. Workers who are either in uniform or have an employee ID can visit McDonald's for a free breakfast, lunch or dinner meal.
7:30 a.m.: Target and Amazon workers are planning mass "sick-outs" over coronavirus safety concerns. Employees are demanding more safety measures. Amazon workers have a sick-out planned for Friday, and Target workers have one planned for May 1.

Workers group Athena said there are at least 130 warehouses where Amazon employees have contracted COVID-19.

7 a.m.: Missouri is suing China for the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit was filed in federal court by the state's top lawyer. It alleges Chinese officials are “responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians.”

Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt contends that the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and didn’t do enough to slow its spread. However, it's unclear whether or not the lawsuit will have any impact. Laws in the United States generally prohibit lawsuits against other countries, according to Chimène Keitner, an international law professor at University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

6:15 a.m.: Some beaches in North Carolina are loosening restrictions. Emerald Isle beaches will remain closed to visitors, but they are they open to residents. Surf City reopened to visitors over the weekend, as long as they follow social distancing. Wrightsville Beach is open, but only for water sports and exercise, and Oak Island will reopen beaches Friday.
6 a.m.: The Animal Protection Society of Durham is celebrating after all of its adoptable pets found homes amid the coronavirus pandemic. The shelter shared a video of employees cheering on Facebook.
5:45 a.m.: In a video on Facebook, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin asks residents to be patient about lifting stay-at-home restrictions during the pandemic.

"We don’t want to rush out and say, 'Hey, we're open for business,' and then have another surge in May," Baldwin said.

Gov. Roy Cooper has promised to ease restrictions as soon as data shows the worst has passed in the state and once North Carolina has the capacity to handle extensive testing and tracing.

5:15 a.m.: A small-business assistance program in Raleigh could give businesses with 49 or fewer employees some cash while they wait for another chance to apply for federal help. Raleigh is prepared to give $1 million to small-business owners. Businesses could see $10,000 each. Officials say business owners who already owe the city money are not eligible. If approved, council members say they will work to quickly develop an application process.
5 a.m.: At least four trucks full of fresh chicken from House of Raeford Farms will roll into Raleigh at the State Fairgrounds Wednesday morning.

More than a dozen cars started lining up at the fairgrounds at 7:30 p.m., and by 4 a.m., at least 100 cars were waiting for the sale. The deal is roughly 40 pounds of chicken for $40. Organizers said they expect to serve at least four times the amount of people they served in Knightdale on Tuesday.

People buying chicken need to be ready to pay with cash.

They should freeze the chicken as soon as possible, although raw chicken can stay in the refrigerator for about seven days. To avoid freezer burn, wrap the chicken tightly in a layer of plastic wrap or freezer paper, then aluminum foil, and put it in a freezer bag or plastic container.

4:30 a.m.: The NHL is considering moving forward with the draft in June even if the season remains on hold. The deputy commissioner says the draft would be held virtually rather than at an arena.

The idea presents several issues, including the draft order and conditional picks, which the final regular-season standings and playoff results typically determine, respectively. This scenario would also make draft-day trades impossible.

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