COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 5

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.

More than 1,500 hospitalized

At least 1,062,300 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,700 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported 3,413 new COVID-19 cases, up from 2,188 on Tuesday.

Twenty-one additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Wednesday. Deaths don’t necessarily occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as more information becomes available.

At least 1,580 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, up from 1,465 the day before. Wednesday’s patient count had been the highest since Feb. 22, The News & Observer reported.

As of Monday, the latest date with available information, 12.2% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.

Roughly 61% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 58% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.

Protesters rally against vaccine, mask rules

About 200 people gathered in downtown Raleigh on Wednesday to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates at workplaces, many of them health care workers.

Some of the demonstrators were also opposed to mask-wearing in schools. During the event, the crowd met at the state legislature and marched around the Governor’s Mansion, The News & Observer reported.

“We spend so much time advocating for our patients, and now that I’m the patient, I can’t advocate for myself,” said nurse Hannah Lewis.

Though Lewis declined to share where she works, both Duke Health and UNC Healthcare are requiring staff to be vaccinated, with some exemptions.

“I appreciate their ... First Amendment right to protest, but I think that these health care facilities have made the right call in requiring employees to get vaccinated,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday. “And I hope that they will work to get the information and to be convinced that this is the right thing to do not only for themselves and their families but to the patients that they’re supposed to treat and protect.”

Incoming college student is latest vaccine lottery winner

An 18-year-old with plans to go to college won $1 million in the latest North Carolina vaccine lottery drawing.

“When COVID first became big, it took away my senior year, and I saw how much it affected everyone around me,” said Audrey Chavous of Winston-Salem. “Not only did I want to get vaccinated for my own peace of mind, but for everyone around me who could have been affected by COVID.”

Lottery prizes were eligible for adults who received the COVID-19 vaccine through Aug. 1. Teens under age 18 could be entered to win $125,000 for scholarships, The News & Observer reported.

The state said it’s still hoping to get in touch with the latest scholarship prize winner.

2 Triangle school districts vote to require masks

Two Triangle school boards on Tuesday made decisions about face masks as COVID-19 continues to spread.

The board in Wake County, the state’s largest district, unanimously backed a recommendation that called for universal mask-wearing until at least the start of the fall semester. Students and staff will have to continue putting on face coverings in schools, no matter their vaccine status, The News & Observer reported.

Ahead of the vote, petitions in favor of and against the mandate had drawn thousands of signatures, and about 200 people rallied outside the building.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools took the rules a step further with its approval, requiring face masks both indoors and outdoors. The board also approved weekly COVID-19 testing for staff who haven’t been vaccinated against the disease.

Both districts are allowing people to seek exemptions from their mask mandates.

The votes from the districts came after Gov. Roy Cooper lifted a school mask mandate and let school leaders make decisions about face coverings. Only children ages 12 and up are currently eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

This list shows other North Carolina districts’ decisions about masks.

NC Senators want parental consent for vaccines

Senators in North Carolina unanimously backed a bill that would require children to have parents’ consent to receive the COVID-19 shot and other emergency-use vaccines.

“Parents know their children the best,” Sen. Joyce Krawiec, a Republican, said in a news release. “They, not the government, should have the ultimate say when it comes to their child’s health.”

The bill would also let pharmacists administer vaccines that have gotten FDA approval and perform other duties. Sen. Jim Burgin, a Republican, said the proposal is important because some parts of the state have a shortage of primary care doctors.

House Bill 96 now heads to state representatives, where it could get a concurrence vote. Then, it would be up to Gov. Roy Cooper to decide if it becomes law.