COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina rise to 1,359
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
CDC COVID-19 Transmission Levels by U.S. County
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5:15 p.m.
Health leaders in Cumberland County are urging people to wear their mask regardless of vaccination status when indoors. They are also encouraging vaccines as students head back to school.
On Monday, Reid Ross Classical school, a year-round middle and high school, confirmed a COVID case on campus.
The district did not say if the person infected was a student or staff member, but the administrators say the school is being cleaned and the 3 W's (washing, social distancing and masking) are being reinforced.
"That's not good enough," said Linda Burney a grandparent of a Reid Ross student. "If that child comes home and I get sick--I have underlying health conditions. That's unacceptable."
Dr. Jennifer Green, director of Cumberland County Health says 50 percent of people age 12 and older have received the vaccine, but she'd like to see that number closer to 80 percent.
"We encourage every parent, every guardian before your student--that is over the age of 12-before they step foot on campus to get at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine," said Dr. Jennifer Green.
School athletic programs begin practices this week. Monday, the district released a statement: District officials are reviewing safety protocols for student-athletes. We are reviewing guidance from the state and collaborating with local health officials and neighboring school districts. Once a decision has been made regarding COVID-19 safety protocols for student-athletes, we will share an update with everyone.
Green says the Delta variant is translating to a spike in cases, people going to the hospital and more deaths.
"I'm feeling like 2020 again. And that's not a feeling I want," said Dr. Green.
5 p.m.
Jeff Bell, the Head of School for Cardinal Gibbons High School, emailed parents saying they "will be starting the year with masking indoors for all students, staff, and visitors."
He also said the school will consider shifting to a more mask-optional policy if two of the following three metrics are met:
- 5% or lower COVID test positivity rates in Wake County over a 10 day-period
- 50 or fewer people out of 100,000 having COVID in Wake County over a 14-day period
- 80% or higher vaccination rate among staff and students
3:15 p.m.
The White House said Monday that the CDC was "unable to find legal authority for a new, targeted eviction moratorium" and asked that states and local governments put in policies to keep renters in their homes.
Mass evictions could potentially worsen the recent spread of the COVID-19 delta variant as roughly 1.4 million households told the Census Bureau they could "very likely" be evicted from their rentals in the next two months. But the Biden administration said it is unable to take action, though it noted that state-level efforts to stop evictions would spare a third of the country from evictions over the next month.
"Our team is redoubling efforts to identify all available legal authorities to provide necessary protections," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a Monday statement.
3:10 p.m.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is vaccinated, announced on Twitter he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is exhibiting symptoms.
"I started having flu-like symptoms Saturday night and went to the doctor this morning," he tweeted. "I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms. I will be quarantining for ten days. I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse."
3 p.m.
It's summertime and airports are packed with vacationers again. And combined with bad weather popping up in places, that's causing problems for the airlines. The U.S. set another pandemic-era record for travel on Sunday, with more than 2.2 million people going through airport checkpoints. That's the biggest number in 17 months, although travel is still not quite back to pre-pandemic levels. The big crowds and summer thunderstorms are creating headaches for travelers, because thousands of flights a day are running late, and hundreds more are canceled. There are long lines at Spirit Airlines ticket counters in Orlando, Florida, after the discount airline canceled about one-third of its flights on Monday.
12:40 p.m.
NCDHHS released COVID numbers for the weekend.
On Saturday, the state reported 3,131 new COVID-19 cases. On Sunday, the state reported 3,302 and on Monday it reported 2,190.
Sunday's number of 3,302 is the highest in recent months.
The number of people hospitalized in North Carolina also shot up to 1,359 on Monday. That number has been climbing since mid-July.
204 confirmed COVID-19 patients were admitted in the last 24 hours.
The percent of positive tests in the state is at 10.6%.
58% percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
12 p.m.
It's nearly a month late, but the U.S. has hit President Biden's big vaccine milestone: 70% of adults ages 18 and up have at least one shot of the vaccine.
Cyrus Shahpar, the White House's COVID-19 Data Director, confirmed the news in a tweet this morning. President Biden is scheduled to give remarks on the vaccination progress Tuesday.
10 a.m.
Evictions, which have mostly been on pause during the pandemic, were expected to ramp up Monday after the Biden administration allowed the federal moratorium to expire over the weekend and Congress was unable to do anything to extend it.
Housing advocates fear the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium could result in millions of people being evicted. But most expect the wave of evictions to build slowly over the coming weeks and months as the bureaucracy of removing people from their homes restarts.
9 a.m.
More than 99.99% of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 have not had a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The data highlights what leading health experts across the country have highlighted for months: Covid-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing serious illness and death from Covid-19 and are the country's best shot at slowing the pandemic down and avoiding further suffering.
6:40 a.m.
Eviction protections put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic have now expired.
That means a lot of people in North Carolina and across the country are trying to figure out what's next.
In the coming weeks, landlords will begin sending eviction cases to courts. The Census Bureau estimates eviction is likely for nearly 25 percent of adults living in North Carolina households.
'The calm before the storm': Communities brace for end of eviction moratorium
One Wake County property manager spoke to ABC11 to say they have helped renters apply for financial help. The property manager said they don't want to make anyone homeless but believes it's time to end the eviction moratorium.
North Carolina reports about $186 million remaining in federal assistance for renters.
6:05 a.m.
Mask mandates go into effect at many local government buildings Monday.
The mandates include unvaccinated and vaccinated people alike and fall in line with CDC and federal guidelines.
The mandates include government buildings in Wake County, Raleigh, Durham and Garner.
Many businesses are re-evaluating their masking policies, with many issuing stiffer encouragements calling on every customer to wear a mask. Some, like Publix, have even gone back to requiring masks for anyone inside.
5:45 a.m.
In three weeks, the majority of Wake County students will return to class.
The COVID-19 vaccine remains highly recommended but not required for students over 12 years old. All students and staff will be required to wear a mask at all times while at school.
However, there are lots of other vaccines that are required for students. Kindergarteners must have proof of a total of seven vaccines: DTap, Polio, Hib, MMR, Hepatitis B, Varcella and Pnumococcal conjugate.
Then by 7th grade, the students must also add the Tdap vaccine as well as meningococall conjugate.
I had COVID so I don't need the vaccine: Busting COVID myths
SUNDAY
6:30 p.m.
Ninety-two of North Carolina's 100 counties are at high COVID-19 transmission, according to the CDC.
As COVID numbers rise, the effort to get vaccines in arms also increases. In Raleigh, WakeMed administered more than 100 vaccines Sunday.
The CDC reports nearly 70 percent of adults in the U.S. are partially vaccinated.
7:30 a.m.
The eviction moratorium in North Carolina has expired as of August 1.
SATURDAY
10 p.m.
As the Wake County Public School System decision on masks loom, there are dueling petitions circulating to make the choice optional -- more than 3,000 people support keeping masks while more than 2,000 others want a choice.
10:45 a.m.
The US Food and Drug Administration insists it is working as quickly as possible to review applications for full approval of the COVID-19 vaccines as the number of cases continues to rise and vaccination rates decline across the country.
Though the FDA has yet to disclose a time line for when its work will be done, medical experts and sources familiar with the process tell CNN that full approval could come within the next couple of months. While that would amount to a record fast pace, the urgency is rising for a fully approved vaccine given the troubling surge in COVID cases sweeping the country.
9 a.m.
The eviction moratorium in North Carolina is set to expire July 31, 10 months after it was enacted to protect renters amid the pandemic.
"We're kind of waiting with bated breath, but we are nervous about the potential impact that this is going to have," said Isaac Sturgill, a staff attorney with Legal NC, a nonprofit law firm that handles numerous eviction cases throughout the state.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 96,000 North Carolina adults could likely face eviction or foreclosure in the next two months.
"All signs are pointing toward something really bad is about to happen," Sturgill said. "I hope that's not true and I hope it's not as bad as we think."
Deadline day for low-income SE Raleigh renters facing housing emergency
