NC Coronavirus Updates

News coverage and resources related to the spread and response to the coronavirus in North Carolina and beyond.

WUNC is also compiling a list of organizations asking for support during this unprecedented time.  

Worried About The COVID Vaccine? North Carolina's Plan For Vaccine Hesitancy

By WFAE & Dana Miller Ervin • Nov 25, 2020
Daniel Schludi / Unsplash / Creative Commons

North Carolina’s Health Director, Dr. Elizabeth Tilson, expects a limited supply of coronavirus vaccine will be available here by the end of the year. That assumes, of course, that the Food and Drug Administration approves its emergency use sometime in the next few weeks.

Cone Health Urges Residents To Follow Rules To Lower Amount Of COVID-19 Patients

By • Nov 25, 2020
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Greensboro-based Cone Health operates in two of the state's red zones for COVID-19 numbers.

Local School Districts Decide On Reopening With Minimal Federal And State Guidance

By • Nov 23, 2020
Monday marks the return of in person teaching at Wake County Public Schools. Students arrive at Davis Drive Elementary to temperature checks and health screenings in the carpool line.
Kate Medley / For WUNC

While COVID-19 surges across the state, schools are adjusting plans for in-person learning. But the tough calls have been left almost completely to local school districts, as state and federal agencies are offering only minimal guidance.

WATCH: State Officials Hold Coronavirus Briefing

By • Nov 23, 2020

Governor Roy Cooper and members of the Coronavirus Task Force share an update on COVID-19.

Watch, live, here starting at 2 p.m.

Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Nov. 23

By • Nov 23, 2020
Mack Brown UNC College Football
Robert Willett / The News & Observer via AP, Pool

This post will be updated periodically with the latest information on how the coronavirus is affecting North Carolina. Scroll down for older updates. For a recap of last week's news, check out Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Nov. 16.

2:40 p.m. - A recent report from Visit Raleigh estimates Wake County's businesses and tourism industry will lose a minimum of $145 million due to COVID-19. Nearly 300 conventions, sports events and meeting have been canceled this year because of the pandemic. The lost revenue makes up about 5% of total money spent by visitors. - Naomi Prioleau, WUNC

COVID-19 Testing And Surveying The Underserved

By • Nov 23, 2020
Leoneda Inge

The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 is surging. And there is also a growing number of people getting tested for the disease, for the first time. A program based at a historically Black university in Durham is organizing COVID-19 testing and collecting valuable data at the same time.

Turkeys Don't Fly. Should I?

By & • Nov 20, 2020
Tested Podcast logo

Any other year, Americans would be gearing up for the big Thanksgiving travel weekend; traffic jams and long lines at the airport would just be a reality of life. But TSA is quiet at Raleigh Durham International Airport, where the pandemic has cut air travel by two-thirds. Tested host Leoneda Inge talks with passengers and an RDU spokesperson about the changed travel landscape.

NC Tourism Leaders Promote Holiday Travel Safety

By • Nov 19, 2020
Creative Commons / Via pxhere

The state's tourism industry group says nearly 4,000 businesses have signed on to a campaign promoting consumer safety during the pandemic. Visit North Carolina has been promoting its Count on Me NC program, which has provided training about proper physical distancing, hand-washing and mask wearing. Ads encourage customers to look for the "Count on Me NC" label.

Quinceañeras In Quarantine: Businesses And Dreams Threatened By COVID-19

By Maria Ramirez Uribe • Nov 18, 2020

They had it all planned out. For her quinceañera, Marlena Modica would wear the white gown her grandmother had gifted her oldest sister — one of many family traditions. The day would start with a religious ceremony followed by a large party with friends and family. Modica’s parents would proudly show off their little girl becoming a young lady.

EN VIVO: Sesión Informativa Sobre COVID-19

By • Nov 18, 2020

La Secretaria del Departamento de Salud, Dra. Mandy Cohen y la Asesora de NCDHHS para hispanos / latinos al COVID-19, la Dra. Viviana Martínez-Bianchi, presentan una sesión informativa sobre COVID-19 a las 3 p.m.

 

NC Unveils New COVID County Alert System

By • Nov 17, 2020
In a new county COVID alert system, the state distinguishes the counties with the highest levels of viral spread.
Governor Roy Cooper Twitter

Governor Roy Cooper is unveiling a new county-level alert system to highlight COVID-19 hotspots. Counties will be marked yellow, orange or red to indicate the severity of concern.

WATCH: Gov. Cooper And State Officials Hold Coronavirus Briefing

By • Nov 17, 2020

Gov. Cooper and members of the Coronavirus Task Force are scheduled to hold a media briefing on COVID-19. 

Watch live here starting at 3 p.m.

The Economy Has Never Worked For Mothers, And COVID-19 Is Pushing More Women Out Of Work

By & • Nov 17, 2020
A graphic of an Asian woman, colored red with a white mask, holding a baby colored yellow, against a blue background.
Pixabay

In September, 865,000 women left the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eighty percent of the people who stopped working or looking for work that month were women. It’s no coincidence that this large drop out happened around the same time that the fall semester began: data confirms that mothers disproportionately shoulder the burden of childcare, supervising virtual learning and domestic work. 

Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Nov. 16

By • Nov 16, 2020
Cary Town Council members Ya Liu (left) and Lori Bush talk during the May 1 facemask giveaway. Liu, Cary's first Asian American councilmember, has been one of CAFA's lead organizers in their philanthropic efforts.
Chinese American Friendship Association of North Carolina

This post will be updated periodically with the latest information on how the coronavirus is affecting North Carolina. Scroll down for older updates. For a recap of last week's news, check out Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Nov. 9.

4:41 p.m. - Some restaurants in North Carolina are going the extra mile to limit the spread of COVID-19 as they serve patrons. Chef Cheetie Kumar of Garland in downtown Raleigh joined the state health department's briefing this afternoon. Kumar says her restaurant is only serving outside. And instead of reusable dishes, they're plating entrees on banana leaves.

This Is Only A Test

By & • Nov 13, 2020
Tested Podcast logo

North Carolina is seeing record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations, and Black and Latinx people continue to make up a disproportionate share of them. Without a vaccine, public health experts say testing is a key tool for keeping COVID at bay, and strengthening access to testing in underserved communities remains a necessity. It's a compelling enough argument to convince host Leoneda Inge to get tested herself.

Leoneda talks with Deepak Kumar, director of NCCU’s Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute, about improving health services for communities of color. And she speaks with Dr. Cardra Burns and Ben Money from the NC Department of Health and Human Services about the state’s recent testing efforts.
 


WATCH: State Officials Hold Coronavirus Briefing

By • Nov 12, 2020

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen will share an update regarding COVID-19. Watch, here, live starting at 2 p.m.

Cooper Lowers Limit On Indoor Gatherings With COVID Cases Spiking

By • Nov 11, 2020
N.C. Governor Roy Cooper and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.
N.C. Department of Public Safety

Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Tuesday that lowers the limit on indoor gatherings in North Carolina.

North Carolina Tightens Gathering Limits Ahead Of Thanksgiving

By • Nov 10, 2020
N.C. Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mandy Cohen.
N.C. Department of Public Safety

North Carolina will remain paused in its current reopening plan for an additional three weeks, with indoor gathering limits reduced from 25 people to 10 people starting on Friday.

WATCH: State Officials Hold Coronavirus Briefing

By • Nov 10, 2020

Governor Cooper and members of the Coronavirus Task Force share an update on COVID-19. Watch, here, live starting at 3 p.m.

Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Nov. 9

By • Nov 9, 2020
In this Aug. 18, 2020 file photo, a student works outside Ehrighaus dormitory on campus at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gerry Broome / AP

This post will be updated periodically with the latest information on how the coronavirus is affecting North Carolina. Scroll down for older updates. For a recap of last week's news, check out Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Oct. 26.

4:50 p.m. - Students in Cumberland County will return to in-person learning in January, given that COVID-19 metrics are trending in the right direction at that time. The Cumberland County Board of Education approved a plan today for students to return to classrooms on a staggered schedule starting January 7. - Celeste Gracia, WUNC

North Carolina Inmate Who Tested Positive For COVID-19 Dies

By • Nov 6, 2020
Concertina wire surrounding a prison
Kate Ter Harr / Flickr Creative Commons

An elderly North Carolina prison inmate with pre-existing conditions and a positive COVID-19 test has died, officials said.

A news release from the N.C. Department of Public Safety on Wednesday said the inmate, who was in his 80s, died at the Central Prison hospital on Tuesday.

COVID-19 Rates, Support For Trump Not Closely Tied In NC Counties

By • Nov 6, 2020
A car decorated with pro-Trump stickers and decals makes its way through downtown Hillsborough Saturday as part of the "Trump Train" to show support for President Trump and other North Carolina Republicans on the ballot this November.
Mitchell Northam / WUNC

There doesn't appear to be a strong correlation in North Carolina between counties that voted for President Donald Trump, and counties with high numbers of new COVID-19 cases, according to a WUNC analysis.

Craven County Commissioner Dies From COVID-19

By • Nov 6, 2020
Courtesy Craven County Government

Craven County Commissioner Johnnie Sampson Jr., has died after a battle with COVID-19. The 87-year-old had been a county commissioner for 24 years.

North Carolina’s High COVID-19 Rates Mirror National Trends

By & • Nov 6, 2020
Governor Roy Cooper in a candid photo wearing his black face mask where he gives coronavirus briefings.
File Photo, Courtesy Governor Roy Cooper Twitter

The United States hit a new record this week: more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases in one day. The virus is surging around the country — including in North Carolina. The state broke its own record last week with 2,886 new infections in one day on Thursday, Oct. 29. 

In First Post-Election Briefing, State Officials Report 2nd-Highest Rate Of New COVID Cases

By • Nov 5, 2020
Governor Roy Cooper in a candid photo wearing his black face mask where he gives coronavirus briefings.
File Photo, Courtesy Governor Roy Cooper Twitter

North Carolina’s coronavirus cases continue to climb, with the state hitting its second-highest new case count on Thursday.

North Carolina Gov. Cooper Signs Order Preventing Evictions

By • Oct 28, 2020
an eviction notice on a front door
Steve Rhodes / Creative Commons/http://bit.ly/2HmJ9nV

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Wednesday preventing landlords from evicting tenants who are unable to pay their rent.

No Good Options

By & • Oct 27, 2020
Tested Podcast logo

Thousands of teachers in North Carolina are currently faced with a difficult choice: go back to teaching in-person class, or continue to teach virtually and minimize their risk of exposure to Covid. But, in truth, it's not even really their decision — at least, not entirely.

Host Dave DeWitt talks with WUNC Education Reporter Liz Schlemmer about the difficult situation for North Carolina teachers weighing their health, and the health of loved ones, with their job. 

We also hear from physicians at Duke University about ways to stay safe during the upcoming holiday season.
 


Wake County Elementary Schools Back In Person

By • Oct 26, 2020
Monday marks the return of in-person teaching at Wake County Public Schools. Students arrive at Davis Drive Elementary to temperature checks and health screenings in the carpool line.
Kate Medley / For WUNC

Many of Wake County's pre-K through third grade students returned to classrooms Monday. 

At Davis Drive Elementary School in Cary, it felt a bit like the first day of school.

Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Oct. 26

By • Oct 26, 2020
Greenville Covid
City of Greenville, via Flickr / https://bit.ly/3avgM3O

This post will be updated periodically with the latest information on how the coronavirus is affecting North Carolina. Scroll down for older updates. For a recap of last week's news, check out Coronavirus Live Updates: Week of Oct. 19.

7:35 a.m. – Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence – widely regarded as the best quarterback in the ACC and a top NFL Draft prospect – tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Thursday. According to CBS Sports, Lawrence tested positive on Wednesday. He will miss the Tigers’ game Saturday against Boston College, but he could be cleared for No. 1 Clemson’s bout with No. 4 Notre Dame on Nov. 7.

COVID-19 Cases Spike In Rural NC; Trends Could Strain Hospitals

By • Oct 26, 2020
COVID coronavirus mask kids bikes police greenville
City of Greenville, via Flickr / https://bit.ly/2RONEMk

A new analysis from data scientists modeling the impact of COVID-19 in North Carolina shows rural areas and the older population are now being hit harder by the coronavirus.

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