RALEIGH, N.C. — Here are the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in North Carolina and across the globe:
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Where are cases, deaths in NC?
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Latest updates:
6:30 p.m.: Durham County has confirmed nine additional cases of COVID-19 and four additional related deaths. The county now reports 555 total cases and 15 related deaths.
6:20 p.m.: A Bojangles' location in Raeford, NC in Hoke County has been closed since April 24 after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
5:00 p.m.: According to the New York Post, the last COVID-19 patient has left the USNS Comfort, which has been stationed in New York City to assist with treating patients.
3:45 p.m.: New York’s daily coronavirus death toll dropped to below 400, less than half of the deaths recorded at the height of the coronavirus crisis in the state's hospitals.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the 367 deaths from the coronavirus that he reported Sunday were “horrific," but the number was less than half the nearly 800 deaths that occurred in a single day during the pandemic's peak in New York.
It is the first time this month that the statewide daily death toll has been below 400.
3:30 p.m.: New Hanover County is expanding COVID-19 testing for residents who are experiencing mild symptoms. Starting Monday, residents can be pre-screened by calling the Coronavirus Call Center at 910-798-6800. Those who meet the requirements for testing will be referred to a drive-though location to get tested for free.
“This is the most extensive and aggressive testing effort by any county in North Carolina that we are aware of,” said New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chair Julia Olson-Boseman.
3:00 p.m.: Shrieks of joy ring out on the streets of Spain as children are allowed to leave their homes briefly for the first time in six weeks. The country has the second-highest number of confirmed infections behind the United States.
2:00 p.m.: The group "Stay Home NC," which clashes with the group "ReopenNC," released a statement saying it supports Gov. Roy Cooper's decision to close schools for the year and extend the stay-at-home order until May 8.
Michael Morgan, who founded the Facebook group Stay Home NC from his hospital bed while fighting leukemia and waiting on a COVID-19 test, said, “It’s definitely a great plan. We’re in favor of how he’s wanting to roll things out. We think that’s the perfect speed."
1:30 p.m.: A Louisiana pastor is holding services in his church, defying house arrest orders that followed an assault charge related to his decision to hold mass gatherings in defiance of public health orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
A livestream from Life Tabernacle Church on Sunday showed Tony Spell walking among more than 100 congregants, often repeating the phrase, “I’ve just got to get to Jesus. ... Come on America, let’s get back to Jesus.” Nearly all parishioners were not wearing face masks, and social distancing was not being practiced.
1:00 p.m.: Officials in South Carolina expressed appreciation for the 1.5 million surgical masks sent from China that are needed to stem the new coronavirus outbreak as U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham also called for a lessening of U.S. reliance on China.
“We want the masks made in the United States,” Graham said. “We don’t want to ever have to rely on China or anyone where for our basic health care needs.”
12:30 p.m.: The Animal Protection Society of Durham will host its Walk for the Animals fundraiser in May as planned -- but participants will walk on their own to maintain social distancing. The APS expects hundreds will participate.
12:00 p.m.: North Carolina's latest virus count has risen to above 8,900, but the number of cases reported Sunday morning, 194, was smaller than the number of cases reported Saturday morning.
Ten more people died, including three in Orange County, and there are now 318 total deaths in North Carolina. Wake County reported 18 new cases, for 663 total, and Mecklenburg County reported 32 (for 1,482 total). There were also 36 new cases in Davidson County and 29 new cases in Chatham County.
There are about 1,588 cases in North Carolina nursing and rehab facilities and 147 deaths. North Carolina prisons report 734 cases and six deaths
11:50 a.m.: A Morehead City man who organized an effort to pay for dozens of meals for Carteret County residents every night in March and April said more people are joining his cause. Jay Davis said more than 70 people have helped him pay for nightly meals for people in need while supporting local restaurants in the process.
Davis said a total of $33,000 has been raised since he started the idea on March 18.
11:45 a.m.: With fewer and fewer people out and about, more wild animals are coming out of hiding. Near Asheville, Haw Creek resident Ann McNamara found a black bear in her crawl space.
11:30 a.m.: When restaurants in Spain reopen, they will look very different. Glass booth dividers are being installed, restaurants will be disinfected and thermal cameras will be installed to measure the body temperature of customers.
11:15 a.m.: Goodwill is opening 16 locations in Wake and Orange Counties for people to drop off donations during the coronavirus pandemic. The stores will offer the service starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Shopping will not be allowed.
10:45 a.m.: Instacart plans to hire an additional 250,000 workers over the next two months. More than 300,000 people were just hired in March. The online grocery delivery company will focus on hiring in areas with high demand -- including California, Massachusetts and New York. Instacart is also extending sick pay for workers affected by coronavirus until the pandemic ends.
10:30 a.m.: Vidant Health, based out of eastern North Carolina, incorrectly sent 122 positive results to the NCDHHS on Saturday. On Sunday, Vidant said the NCDHHS corrected the number, bringing the state's total for Saturday down to 8,542.
10:15 a.m.: Two million chickens on several farms in Delaware and Maryland will be "depopulated" -- meaning humanely killed -- due to a lack of employees at chicken processing plants.
9:50 a.m.: Recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci jokingly said that if any actor was going to portray him on "Saturday Night Live," he'd want Brad Pitt. On Saturday night, Fauci got his wish. In a surprise appearance, Pitt played Fauci at the opening of Saturday's "SNL," which was produced remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
9:30 a.m.: Vidant Health says it accidentally reported 122 inaccurate COVID-19 test results to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Vidant serves about 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The health system said there was a technical error sharing data with the state, although the actual lab tests were correct. Vidant says it's working with the state to correct the data.
9:15 a.m.: A new study suggests that the best homemade masks contain a combination of different materials if the fit is good.
Researchers recently tested the spread of aerosol particles with cloth samples. They found a single layer or cotton sheet combined with two layers of polyester-spandex chiffon was able to filter at least 80% of the particles. Replacing the chiffon with natural silk also produced similar results.
9:00 a.m.: Netflix gained nearly 16 million new subscribers just in the first three months of 2020, and more scammers are using the company's popular name to rip people off.
8:30 a.m.: Many department stores likely won't survive the pandemic,
The New York Times reports. The sales of clothing and accessories fell by more than half in March, a trend that is expected to only get worse in April.
“The department stores, which have been failing slowly for a very long time, really don’t get over this,” said Mark A. Cohen, the director of retail studies at Columbia University’s Business School. “The genre is toast and looking at the other side of this, there are very few who are likely to survive.”
8:15 a.m.: The Harnett County Health Department said Universal Healthcare has 56 confirmed cases of coronavirus (11 employees, 45 residents). One person from the facility has died, which accounts for 1 of the 5 deaths reported for the county.
8:00 a.m.: Experts there say there's little proof to suggest that, once you've had the coronavirus, you become immune. People could get sick again, which is a concern for the states already easing stay-at-home orders and re-opening.
Over the past week, North Carolina has averaged 365 new cases a day. The latest update pushes that number even higher, with more than 420 new cases.
7:45 a.m.: A new report indicates Americans are using more tranquilizers and sleeping aids to get through the coronavirus crisis. There is also a spike coming in anti-anxiety drugs.
7:00 a.m.: Target says new sales numbers show more people are doing their shopping online. Overall, Target's sales have increased more than 7% percent since the start of the pandemic as people look to social distance.
Target says online sales have doubled and helped offset declines inside its nearly 1,900 brick-and-mortar stores.
6:45 a.m.: The U.S. should doubles its coronavirus testing in the coming weeks, Dr. Anthony Fauci says. On Sunday, Fauci said the country will need more testing to respond to outbreaks as social distancing guidelines are relaxed.
6:30 a.m.: Grocery shopping can be a stressful for everyone these days, especially for health care workers in the front line of the pandemic. In one English town, automated robots are delivering food and supplies to health workers' doors for free.
The robots travel on pavements at a low speed and employ multiple sensors, cameras and a radar to ensure they complete the delivery safely.
6:15 a.m.: Franklin County has now deep-cleaned its health department after two employees there tested positive. Monday's appointments are all canceled. The workers infected with the virus were not health care providers, they said.
One of the infected employees was last at work on April 9, the other on April 22. All other health department employees were tested and cannot return to work until their results come back clear.
6:00 a.m.: There are 8,717 people in 93 North Carolina counties who have tested positive for the coronavirus. There are 308 confirmed deaths in our state, and there are at least 1,188 confirmed cases statewide of people recovering from the virus, although many counties aren't reporting those numbers.
