Breaking

NC reaches milestone: 30,000 cases of coronavirus — Since health officials announced the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in North Carolina on March 3, how we live, work and interact has changed. On Wednesday, the state marked a new milestone: More than 30,000 confirmed cases of the virus. In all, 30,777 cases have been confirmed in North Carolina. Across the country, more than 100,000 people have died of the disease.

WRAL Data Trackers Coverage

COVID-19 outbreak details at meat packing plants limited as confirmed case numbers grow
DHHS officials say they're aware of more than 2,000 meatpacking workers who've tested positive for COVID-19. They've provided both the number of outbreaks and the counties where they've occurred. But for weeks, those officials have refused to name plants with reported outbreaks, noting that the agency lacks regulatory oversight over the facilities.

May 29, 2020 11:07 a.m. EDT
Don't judge NC's pandemic response by what's happening in nearby states, experts say
As North Carolina prepares for a scaled-back move on Friday into the second stage of a three-part plan to resume business and social activities during the coronavirus pandemic, other states are several steps ahead when it comes to returning to life as close to normal as possible.

May 21, 2020 9:03 p.m. EDT
Experts caution comparing virus outbreaks, reopening strategies between states
As North Carolina prepares for a scaled-back move on Friday into the second stage of a three-part plan to resume business and social activities during the coronavirus pandemic, other states are several steps ahead when it comes to returning to life as close to normal as possible.

May 21, 2020 9:03 p.m. EDT
COVID-19 forecasters slash projections for NC death toll
New modeling from a group of researchers at the University of Washington has significantly cut the number of COVID-19 deaths expected in North Carolina through August.

May 20, 2020 10:02 a.m. EDT
Alcohol sales in some counties down as bars remain shuttered
April sales of liquor in North Carolina may not be quite as high as the month before, as state and county leaders began putting stay-at-home orders in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn't mean North Carolinians aren't still buying a lot more booze.

May 19, 2020 7:26 p.m. EDT
Surge in liquor sales offset by bar, restaurant closures
April sales of liquor in North Carolina may not be quite as high as the month before, as state and county leaders began putting stay-at-home orders in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn't mean North Carolinians aren't still buying a lot more booze.

May 19, 2020 7:26 p.m. EDT
As testing spreads, rate of positive coronavirus cases holds steady
Saturday saw the greatest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in North Carolina. But because the availability of testing continues to soar, that is not necessarily bad news.

May 18, 2020 5:50 p.m. EDT
Coronavirus cases, testing are both up; NC rate of positive tests holds steady
Saturday saw the greatest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in North Carolina.

May 18, 2020 5:50 p.m. EDT
Triangle hospitals receive millions in stimulus money
The CARES Act for coronavirus relief provided $175 billion to health care facilities and doctors who lost business in order to prepare for a possible hospital surge. Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control breaks down the individual payments.

May 14, 2020 5:07 p.m. EDT
Amid calls to reopen NC, top COVID forecaster says state 'definitely opening too soon'
One of the lead University of Washington researchers whose team is now predicting more than 4,400 deaths in North Carolina from COVID-19 through early August says state leaders are moving too quickly to reopen.

May 14, 2020 5:46 p.m. EDT
Inspection reports show history of deficiencies at nursing homes hit hardest by COVID-19
Inspection reports from state and county health regulators reveal dozens of serious lapses in safety and care at some of the nursing facilities now hit hardest by the coronavirus in North Carolina.

May 6, 2020 2:43 p.m. EDT
What NC's key COVID-19 metrics say about the state's readiness to reopen
Gov. Roy Cooper is set to provide more details on his phased reopening of North Carolina Tuesday afternoon. But he's said the timing of that reopening will largely depend on a collection of seven metrics tracking the extent of COVID-19's spread in the state.

May 5, 2020 9:20 p.m. EDT
Where NC stands on key metrics to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic
Gov. Roy Cooper and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen have said they're closely watching seven key metrics describing the spread of COVID-19 in the state. As North Carolina's leaders eye reopening in the coming weeks, how is the state doing so far?

May 5, 2020 1:56 p.m. EDT
Revised models show COVID-19 deaths, infections slowing in NC
Two separate models revised with new data in recent days project the rise in North Carolina's COVID-19 death toll will begin to slow in the next few weeks.

May 4, 2020 6:38 p.m. EDT
CDC forecasts project COVID-19 deaths slowing through May
New projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate deaths in North Carolina due to COVID-19 will hit 762 in late May. But the modeling shows the increase in those deaths may be slowing.

May 4, 2020 5:34 p.m. EDT
Stay-at-home rules mean traffic stops in NC hit lowest mark in years
Law enforcement officers around the state routinely pull over more than 100,000 drivers each month. In March, that number dropped to 71,000, the lowest monthly total WRAL Data Trackers found in the last five years.

May 4, 2020 6:51 p.m. EDT
NC social distancing sees slight downtick in late April
Data on mobility from three sources - the University of Maryland, Descartes Labs and Apple - all show a similar trend for North Carolina's adherence to social distancing measures. Although travel is down significantly since early March, it's picked up slightly in the last weeks of April.

April 30, 2020 5:35 p.m. EDT
Report says viral spread of COVID-19 slowing in NC
WRAL's Kirsten Gutierrez has more on the report that the spread of COVID-19 in our state may be slowing in our state.

April 28, 2020 10:48 p.m. EDT
Report: Viral spread of COVID-19 appears to be slowing in NC
A new report from a group of top epidemiologists and public health experts in the state projects that a gradual reopening plan isn't likely to overwhelm North Carolina's hospitals.

April 28, 2020 10:48 p.m. EDT
History of SARS, flu a guide to whether coronavirus will have a second wave
The head of the Centers for Disease Control predicts COVID-19 could come back stronger and deadlier in the fall. Coinciding with the start of the traditional flu season, the novel coronavirus would create a massive strain on the medical system.

April 23, 2020 6:23 p.m. EDT