NC Coronavirus Updates

Updated on Jan. 15. This post will be updated periodically as we tackle your questions.

North Carolina health officials have announced a significant revamp of the state vaccine rollout plan. They have done away with the previous sub-tiered four-phase system and introduced a streamlined plan with five groups.

North Carolina could start vaccinating residents ages 65 and older under new federal guidance announced by the Trump administration Tuesday. The federal government said it is no longer holding back second doses of the vaccine and is urging states to provide shots to anyone 65 and older.

Lawmakers said Tuesday in a meeting with North Carolina's top public health official that the state lacks organization, flexibility and needs to give better instructions to counties on how to administer the coronavirus vaccine.

North Carolina’s hospitals are quickly filling up with patients stricken by the coronavirus, even as health systems in some of the hardest-hit regions -- the Triad and greater Charlotte area -- take steps to make room for a wave of new patients.

The looming crisis is fueled by lack of clinical staff, not by lack of physical space for beds.

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 Jan. 4.

5:40 p.m. - A county in southeastern North Carolina where older adults make up a large share of the population is appealing to Gov. Roy Cooper to provide more doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Chairman Randy Thompson sent a letter to the governor outlining concerns about having enough vaccine for high-risk individuals who want it. Nearly a third of Brunswick County's residents are 65 or older, and are now eligible to get a shot after the state revised the priority groups this week. That's about 46,000 people. Thompson says the county's allocation of 1,500 doses a week is inadequate.

UNC Chapel Hill has announced it will delay the start of in-person classes for all undergraduate students by three weeks for the spring semester.

For the third time in the past week, North Carolina has set a new record for COVID-19 cases identified.

The state health department is encouraging more coordination between local health departments and doctors' offices to speed up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Governor Roy Cooper and members of North Carolina's Coronavirus Task Force are scheduled to hold a media briefing on Wednesday.

Updated at 6 p.m.

North Carolina’s top public health official said Tuesday that most nursing home workers are refusing to take coronavirus vaccines being offered in a state that has now become one of the slowest in the nation to get doses into peoples’ arms.

A 30-bed emergency field hospital is being set up and staffed in Lenoir to deal with an overflow of COVID-19 patients in the region.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300,000 doses of the vaccination against Covid-19 have been shipped to North Carolina. The CDC reports 94,865 people have received the first of two doses of the shot as of Jan. 2, though that data can lag by a few days.

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 Dec. 28.

6 p.m. - The state Health Department says residents of neighboring states can come into North Carolina to get a COVID-19 vaccine. And Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen says North Carolina residents do not need to get vaccinated in their home county. Demand has greatly outpaced supply as North Carolina has begun administering doses to hospital workers and people age 75 or older. As of today, state officials report that nearly 152,000 people have gotten their first dose, while more than 9,000 have also gotten their second dose. - Amy Jeffries, WUNC

Governor Roy Cooper and members of North Carolina's Coronavirus Task Force are scheduled to hold a media briefing on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

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 Dec. 21.

11:18 a.m. - Guilford County Schools is delaying the return of middle school students for in-person learning by another two weeks. The district had planned for the first group of sixth graders to be back in classrooms on Jan. 7. Now they're scheduled to return Jan. 21. The district says the delay will give administrators more time to review COVID-19 data and guidance for the middle school age group. Guilford County elementary schools are still slated to reopen to students on Jan. 5 and high schools on Jan. 21. – Amy Jeffries, WUNC

2020 was a year like no other, with the headlines and news stories to match. Between a global pandemic, the U.S. election, and protests following the killing of George Floyd, there was an abundance of critical coverage to follow. 

Governor Roy Cooper and members of the state Coronavirus Task Force will deliver a public briefing on COVID-19 at 2 p.m.

Watch live here:

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 Dec. 14.

Just before noon Monday, Dr. Katie Passaretti stood still while a nurse stuck a needle in her arm and injected a dose of cold liquid.

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 Dec. 7.

5:05 p.m. - UNC Charlotte's men's basketball coach is under quarantine after he was notified by COVID-19 contact tracers. Ron Sanchez will miss the team's next two games, including one tomorrow against North Carolina A&T. - Cole del Charco, WUNC

The new stay-at-home order from Governor Roy Cooper meant to limit gatherings and the spread of coronavirus goes into effect this evening.

Editor's Note: WUNC.org generally does not publish op-eds or commentaries. We are making an exception in this case in the interest of public health.

When I announced North Carolina had its first known COVID case on March 3rd, most of us didn’t expect to be living like this in December. Instead of preparing for beloved holiday traditions, we’re making virtual gathering plans and mourning the loss of more than 290,000 Americans from COVID-19.

North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican legislative leaders said on Thursday they've found a solution to address the potential loss of $30 million in federal coronavirus relief funds that lawmakers earmarked for rural broadband projects.