Gaston County's COVID cases up 51.9%; North Carolina cases surge 60.7%

New coronavirus cases leaped in North Carolina in the week ending Sunday, rising 60.7% as 8,409 cases were reported. The previous week had 5,234 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

North Carolina ranked 25th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 57.1% from the week before, with 351,599 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country's population, North Carolina had 2.39% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 42 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Gaston County reported 123 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 81 cases and five deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 65,318 cases and 800 deaths.

Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Yancey County with 869 cases per 100,000 per week; Orange County with 362; and Watauga County with 189. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Wake County, with 1,494 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 1,034 cases; and Guilford County, with 744. Weekly case counts rose in 67 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford counties.

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North Carolina ranked 14th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 84% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.5%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Sunday, North Carolina reported administering another 88,698 vaccine doses, including 24,848 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 98,248 vaccine doses, including 27,322 first doses. In all, North Carolina reported it has administered 16,651,775 total doses.

Across North Carolina, cases fell in 25 counties, with the best declines in Wayne County, with 45 cases from 255 a week earlier; in Johnston County, with 85 cases from 250; and in Durham County, with 553 cases from 635.

In North Carolina, 29 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 77 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,647,650 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 23,363 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 80,984,914 people have tested positive and 991,254 people have died.

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North Carolina's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, April 24.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

• Last week: 943

• The week before that: 1,205

• Four weeks ago: 1,076

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

• Last week: 40,571

• The week before that: 37,500

• Four weeks ago: 39,316

Hospitals in 37 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 42 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County reported 123 additional COVID-19 cases this week