New daily reports of COVID-19 cases around North Carolina revealed the state has surpassed another grim benchmark.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported Saturday nine new deaths of state residents from the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total number of casualties to 5,005. North Carolina’s cumulative total of positive cases now stands at 332,261 residents.

It took the state less than two months to add another 1,000 deaths to its count, having passed the 4,000-death mark in mid-October. Since then, North Carolina has also tallied its highest single-day count of residents deaths, which came after 43 North Carolinians were reported dead on October 28.

State health experts and government officials have expressed recent concerns about the continued elevation of North Carolina’s COVID-19 trends. While more consistent than other states seeing pronounced surges of positive cases, North Carolina has seen the rate of positive cases, hospitalizations and death increase since the start of fall.

To help state residents better gauge the threat of COVID-19 in their home county, NCDHHS launched a new tool this week showing which areas are experiencing spread from “significant” to “critical” levels. In an effort to prevent a surge during the winter, Secretary of NCDHHS Dr. Mandy Cohen has also issued guidance urging state residents to take preventative measures during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Governor Roy Cooper extended Phase 3 of the state’s reopening on November 10, citing similar concerns about North Carolina’s coronavirus trends.

Full reports from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services can be found on the department’s COVID-19 web page.

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