COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on May 7
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases surpass 978,000
At least 978,566 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 12,738 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,798 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, up from 1,468 the day before.
Seventeen additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday. Deaths don’t all occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.
At least 1,031 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Thursday, up from 1,001 on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, the latest day for which data is available, 4.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Half of NC adults have started vaccine process
More than 50% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to state health data.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday that 50.1% of people 18 and older have received at least one dose, while 43.1% are fully vaccinated. That means they’ve gotten both doses of Pfizer or Moderna or the single-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, The News & Observer reported.
“This is a significant milestone toward our goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and bringing summer back to North Carolina,” DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a press release.
Bill to end pistol purchase permits passes NC House amid pandemic influx
State lawmakers on Wednesday took a step toward ending pistol purchase permits in North Carolina.
House Bill 398 heads to the state Senate after representatives passed it 69-48. The vote comes as bill sponsor Rep. Jay Adams said a “serious problem” has developed during the coronavirus pandemic.
“A lot of people wanted to get handguns for personal protection, and so what happened in some of the urban counties was the sheriff’s departments were overloaded with requests for pistol purchase permits,” said Adams, a Republican.
While he referred to a backlog in Mecklenburg County, concerns about people waiting in lines during COVID-19 were cited as a reason the Wake County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would suspend pistol purchase permits and concealed carry permits last year. In February, a judge said Wake Sheriff Gerald Baker may have used that excuse to hide that he couldn’t process the volume of applications that came to his office in 2020, The News & Observer reported.
The permits are required for buying handguns. Without pistol purchase permits, customers would still go through background checks, according to Adams.
Opponents to the bill said pistol purchase permits have helped to keep places safer.
“There is no reason to take this away from North Carolina,” said Rep. Marcia Morey, a Democrat. “States that have pistol purchasing permits see 10% fewer incidents of shootings and homicides because there is that safeguard.”
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