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.
Total COVID-19 cases, deaths by zip code
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The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services began releasing zip code-level data on cases and deaths on May 1. Search by zip code to find the rates of cases and deaths for your area. Aggregate counts are based on where patients live. DHHS has supressed counts for some zip codes with populations of less than 500 and cases less than five due to privacy concerns. Population estimates for each zip code, included in the state's data, were calculated by Esri Inc. through a state contract. Due to differences in zip code geographies used in a new version of the state's dashboard launched May 20, some case and deaths counts here may differ slightly from that new dashboard. To stay consistent, WRAL is using state data originally published May 1 and updated by DHHS daily through its ArcGIS site. NOTE: As of Sept. 28, the data on this map includes cases and deaths identified both through PCR and antigen tests.
Source: N.C. DHHS
Graphic: Tyler Dukes, WRAL // Get the data
More than 1,000 people have died of COVID-19 since the first case was confirmed in the state in early March, and over 18,800 people have recovered.
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.
The coronavirus' global spread
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%.
Effects of the pandemic on NC
The damage to the economy that resulted from the statewide moves to contain the virus has been devastating as well.
More than 1 million North Carolinians have filed for unemployment benefits as a result of businesses forced to close or to limit hours or services under the governor's stay-at-home order.
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.
NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said anyone who has been at a protest should think about getting tested for COVID-19.
"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.
