Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on April 29
We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Reported cases and deaths
North Carolina has at least 10,151 reported cases of the coronavirus as of Wednesday afternoon, and 379 people have died, according to state and county health departments.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 380 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, down from 426 the day before.
The state was averaging 390 new daily cases over the past seven days as of Wednesday afternoon.
As of Wednesday, more than 118,000 tests had been completed in the state, 9% of which have come back positive.
At least 551 North Carolinians were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest number recorded in the state during the pandemic. The total was up from 463 day before.
The state was averaging 480 hospitalizations a day over the last seven days as of Wednesday afternoon.
Only two of the state’s 100 counties have not reported a case of COVID-19. At least one death has been reported in 60 counties.
Mass layoffs
At least 180 North Carolina businesses reported mass layoffs or shutdowns since the state got its first coronavirus case, The Charlotte Observer reported. More than 13,000 workers were out of jobs, though the tally likely doesn’t include all cases.
North Carolina received more than 185,000 unemployment claims between March 15 and April 27.
Gaston County to end restrictions
Gaston County, west of Charlotte, will lift restrictions on businesses starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The plan counters Gov. Roy Cooper’s statewide stay-at-home order, which was extended until May 8.
County leaders say they weighed the coronavirus case count and hospital capacity when making the decision.
At least 121 cases and three deaths were reported in the county as of Tuesday, The Charlotte Observer reported. Those totals are lower than neighboring hard-hit Mecklenburg County, which has a larger population.
Universities plan to reopen in the fall
The UNC System plans to reopen its 17 campuses in the fall.
“I expect to reopen our campuses for the Fall 2020 Semester and look forward to welcoming our faculty and students back to their classrooms and labs this fall,” UNC System interim President Bill Roper said in a statement Wednesday. “To do so, we are working closely with our chancellors to chart a course forward.”
Roper said chancellors will have a say in the next steps and will be able to put “unique precautions” in place.
Meanwhile, leaders they will likely not raise tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year. The proposal is up for a vote in May.
The decision, which was made in consideration of the coronavirus pandemic, comes as some students are suing the UNC System, its Board of Governors and individual universities.
They’re seeking reimbursement of their tuition and fees, saying they paid for services they were deprived of when campuses suddenly shut down due to COVID-19, including “in-person instruction, access to campus facilities, student activities, and other benefits and services.”
The UNC System has started giving prorated reimbursements for housing and dining, but refunds of tuition and fees haven’t been included.
Drug shows promise
A coronavirus treatment drug tested in UNC labs showed positive results in clinical trials, the university announced on Wednesday.
Remdesivir, which is given through an IV, started in labs at UNC-Chapel Hill and in the study helped patients recover an average of four days faster.
There was also a “trend in fewer deaths,” according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Medicaid expansion debate
Coronavirus concerns have renewed debated in the North Carolina legislature about Medicaid expansion.
“We can no longer sit here and allow $4 billion of your tax dollars to sit in Washington,” Rep. Sydney Batch, a Holly Springs Democrat, said on Wednesday, according to The News & Observer. ““We need to bring that money back to our state.”
The state house of representatives is considering a limited expansion that would only apply to coronavirus patients. Speaker of the House Tim Moore, a Republican, is supportive of the proposal.
Medicaid expansion has been a contentious issue and is a big reason this year’s state budget was never agreed upon by the Republican-led legislature and Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat.
ReOpenNC leader leaves group
Kristen Elizabeth, a founder of the group ReOpenNC, posted on her Facebook page Wednesday that she has left the group after a disagreement with co-founder Ashley Smith.
The group, which opposes Gov. Roy Cooper’s restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19, held a rally Tuesday during which Smith was arrested along with three others for violating police orders by stepping onto the sidewalk outside the Governor’s Mansion.
“This movement has taken a turn that we were not in agreement with,” Elizabeth wrote in the Facebook post. “Ashley acted on her own yesterday with nearly inciting a riot. I have said from the beginning, we are a peaceful action group and I have carried myself that way and protected our group with every fiber of my being.”
Beach towns
Towns near the North Carolina coast say they’re eager to reopen their beaches with approval from N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper. Some communities have already announced they will lift public parking restrictions.
On the Outer Banks, police said “hateful” fliers were left on cars that had out-of-state license plates, The News & Observer reported. Officials say the notes were found in Dare County, which has restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic.
Property owners who don’t live in the county will be allowed to return next month. No date has been set for welcoming visitors.
Lifting restrictions
Researchers say North Carolina hospitals have enough capacity for the state to start lifting restrictions put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus.
The researchers, from Duke University, NoviSci, RTI International and the University of North Carolina, predicted earlier this month that the coronavirus would peak in North Carolina in mid to late May.
But they said Tuesday the state’s stay-at-home order that has been in effect for about a month is working.
Changes for schools
When North Carolina’s public school buildings reopen next school year, students and parents should expect to see some changes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re going to be doing a lot of hand washing,” State Board of Education chairman Eric Davis said at a virtual town hall this week sponsored by The News & Observer and EdNC. “We’re going to be really focused on hygiene. We probably will not be gathering in large groups. We may be eating lunch in our classrooms.”
Nursing home suit
A court has been asked to review the staffing and hygiene policies of a Rowan County nursing home hit with a coronavirus outbreak.
The request from lawyers representing residents of the nursing home, The Citadel Salisbury, is part of a new lawsuit against the facility, which is home to the worst COVID-19 outbreak among nursing homes in the state.
Officials say 144 people at the facility have tested positive for the virus and 16 have died.
The suit accuses management, owners and leaders ”of bungling the nursing home’s response to the disease,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
