WILL STICK AROUND AND IF IT MAY IMPACT YOUR MONDAY MORNING PLANS. >>> WE HAVE THE LATEST COVID NUMBERS. NORTH CAROLINA RECORDED ITS HIGHEST NUMBER OF NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED. GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. I'M JULIAN GRACE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. TODAY ALONE WE LEARNED OF MORE THAN 4500 NEW CASES AS YOU SEE THAT NUMBER THERE. WE PASSED 5,000 DEATHS FROM THE VIRUS YESTERDAY. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED IS DOWN SLIGHTLY TO >>> BUSINESS OWNERS AND SHOPPERS ARE TAKING NOTICE OF THE GRIM NUMBERS YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT HERE. WRAL'S AARON THOMAS IS LIVE. YOU SPOKE WITH PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE SURGE TIME AND TIME AGAIN. >> YES. THAT'S A BIG TALKER. FROM SHOPPING TO EVEN OUTDOOR DINING, WE TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO FIND A SENSE OF NORMALCY DURING THE PANDEMIC. WITH THE GROWING NUMBER OF COVID CASES, THEY WONDER HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT THEIR EVERYDAY SCHEDULE AND IF THIS WILL LEAD TO A SECOND SHUTDOWN IN THEIR STATE. >> Reporter: WE'RE ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS INTO THE PANDEMIC AND STEVEN SHELL LIVING FURNITURE STORE HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN. >> SINCE WE'VE REOPENED, THE BUSINESS IS BUILDING. RIGHT NOW THERE'S A BIG EXCITEMENT. >> Reporter: EXCITEMENT AND CONCERN. NORTH CAROLINA IS REPORTING MORE THAN 4500 NEW VIRUS CASES, THE HIGHEST DAILY TOTAL TO DATE. BUSINESS OPERATORS WONDER IF THESE NUMBERS WILL FORCE STATE LEADERS TO PUT MORE RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE. >> IT'S TERRIFYING. THE METRICS ARE SCARY EVERY DAY. IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN YOU HAVE TO ASK CUSTOMERS TO PUT THEIR MASK ON. >> Reporter: THE RUSH TO GET TESTED BEFORE THANKSGIVING PUTTING A STRAIN ON LOCAL TESTING SITES. A STEADY STREAM OF PEOPLE CAME IN FOR TESTS AT THE MEXICAN CONSULATE IN WAKE COUNTY. PEOPLE WITHOUT APPOINTMENTS HAD TO WAIT ONLINE. A TESTING SITE IN CARY CLOSED AFTER RUNNING OUT OF TEST KITS. >> WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF CASES NORTH CAROLINA IS EXPERIENCING. 92 EARLIER THIS WEEK GOVERNOR COOPER SUGGESTED BEHAVIOR SUCH AS CROWDS GATHERING AND NOT WEARING MASKS OR DRIVING COVID NUMBERS UP. >> IF WE COULD GET PEOPLE TO COMPLY, THEN WE COULD PUSH DOWN THESE NUMBERS AND THAT'S BEEN OUR EFFORT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS TO TRY TO WORK, TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO COMPLY. >> GOVERNOR COOPER DID EXTEND PHASE 3 OF THE SAFE REOPENING PLAN UNTIL DECEMBER 4th BUT SAYS IT'S POSSIBLE OFFICIALS COULD TAKE ACTION BEFORE THAT TIME. >> SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY OUT THERE. AARON THOMAS REPORTING LIVE IN RALEIGH TONIGHT. >>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK, A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. RIGHT NOW THE AVERAGE NEW CASES ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH OF 3,506. THAT'S 200 HIGHER THAN YESTERDAY'S NUMBER. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DEATHS ARE THAT'S LOWER THAN FRIDAY'S ALL-TIME HIGH AVERAGE OF 37. 7.1% OF TESTS ARE COMING BACK POSITIVE. WE'LL SHARE THE UPDATE LIVE ON WRAL-TV AND OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM