As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise, health and local government officials are concerned as friends and families make plans to gather over the holidays.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, over 41,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state over the last seven days.

This past Friday came with record-high numbers as 8,444 new cases were reported – a significant increase from the 5,786 cases reported the day before.

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said the community needs to remain vigilant as the year comes to a close and trends continue to veer in the wrong direction.

“We know holidays are going to be different,” Hemminger said. “We know Thanksgiving was different but we saw that huge surge after Thanksgiving – we’re hitting it right now. It’s the two weeks after the event happens that you see the hospitalizations and the number of cases go up. We want to make sure that people don’t think because the vaccine is coming, they can loosen their guard.”

Last week, the state hit a record high number of hospitalizations with more than 2,800 residents hospitalized on Thursday and 86 reported COVID-19 deaths. Just one day prior, the state reported a single-day record high of 98 deaths.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said North Carolina is on a “dangerous course” with its rising COVID-19 cases – especially as experts predict that the state could soon run out of hospital beds if these trends persist.

“Act now,” Cohen said. “Do those three W’s now. Protect yourself, your loved ones and your community right now. Your actions can keep people from getting sick, saving lives and making sure our hospitals can care for people – whether it’s for a heart attack or a car accident or COVID-19.”

With multiple holidays just around the corner, the state health department continues to offer up suggestions on how to celebrate safely. Cohen said the most important guidance is to limit physical contact to immediate households.

“As you think about the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday, we have a tough ask,” Cohen said. “Please, avoid traveling and gathering this holiday season. If you absolutely must, it’s essential you get tested ahead of time, wear a mask all the time, keep it small and keep it outdoors.”

For more information on how to gather safely this holiday season, click here.

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