3 years since first case of COVID-19 in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Three years later, North Carolina is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the first case in North Carolina the Department of Health and Human Services recorded nearly 3.5 million cases and more than 28,000 deaths.

Those numbers continue to see a downward trend.

That is due in part to COVID vaccines.

Today 78% of adults are vaccinated in our state and 28% are boosted.

And while those COVID numbers are dropping, our local economy is still also recovering.

The state's unemployment rate reached a high of 14.2% at the start of the pandemic in April 2020.

The latest report shows it is now at 3.8%.

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Researchers say most of the healthcare workforce retuning back to pre-pandemic levels, but minority groups, families with small children and women are having the slowest recovery rates.