North Carolina reported 2,532 new coronavirus cases on Thursday — the highest single-day increase in cases since the pandemic began.

Data from North Carolina Health and Human Services revealed the increase, marking a new high as North Carolina has seen recent steep increases in positive COVID-19 cases. The department reports the state has experienced an increase in the seven-day rolling average for new coronavirus cases since the middle of September, with hospitalizations due to the virus also seeing increases.

As of October 15, health officials are reporting that 238,939 North Carolina residents have tested positive for the virus. Additionally, nearly 4,000 residents have died as a result of the virus. North Carolina health officials reported on Monday that 206,471 residents are presumed to have recovered from the virus.

Locally, Orange County is reporting 2,886 total cases among its residents with 57 deaths. Thursday’s tally represented a 31-case increase from the previous day. up from 2,855 cases the day before. Chatham County is reporting 1,838 cases and 60 deaths, which is 27 more new cases than on Wednesday.

North Carolina officially shifted into Phase 3 of the state’s reopening on October 2 — a move which opened businesses like bars and movie theaters and allowed for small crowd at outdoor sports and entertainment venues.

“I believe that North Carolina can do this safely,” said Governor Roy Cooper at the time. “But so I am clear, every gathering carries the risk of spreading this disease. Being safe means being smart and making sure others around you are doing the same.”

At a press briefing on Thursday, however, Cooper urged North Carolinians to do better.

“We want to begin to see our numbers go down,” he said, “and with colder weather and people moving indoors, there’s more chance for viral spread. This is why we are emphasizing these steps to slow the spread of the virus: being more careful [of] wearing masks.”

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of NCDHHS, said these trends go against the larger outlook the state had just a few weeks ago.

“This is not where we want to be and frankly, it’s frustrating,” she said Thursday. “We have the tools to slow the spread and protect one another. The science is clear on masks: they work. They slow the spread if everyone is working together to wear them. I know that no one in North Carolina wants to see us move backward, so I’m asking all North Carolinians to wear a mask when you  are with people that you don’t live with.”

Phase 3 of reopening is initially slated to run through October 23.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
Trump Allies Lining up Doctors to Prescribe Rapid Reopening
Republican political operatives are recruiting “extremely pro-Trump” doctors to go on television to prescribe reviving the U.S. economy as quickly as possible, without waiting to meet safety benchmarks proposed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. The plan was discussed in a May 11 conference […]
State Health Department: COVID-19 Reaches All 100 North Carolina Counties
North Carolinians have been experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak for months, with nearly all residents seeing the virus impact how the live their daily lives. But before Tuesday, the coronavirus had not been reported in every county. Avery County, in the northwest region of the state bordering Tennessee, was the final county to have not recorded […]
Prison Workers Get Free Testing; Gear Going to Nursing Homes
The North Carolina government is offering widespread testing or protective equipment to workers in two of the more vulnerable living settings for COVID-19 outbreaks. The Department of Public Safety unveiled on Thursday a plan to make free testing available starting next week to over 21,000 employees in state prisons or juvenile facilities or those who […]
Where Can You Get Tested for COVID-19? NC Health Department Shares List of Locations
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced a new list of compiled sample collection and COVID-19 testing locations across the state. The department shared the list on its testing web page on Thursday, an effort to help North Carolinians who may be experiencing symptoms or have been recently exposed to the coronavirus. […]
Hundreds of NC Prisoners with COVID-19 Declared Recovered
Hundreds of North Carolina state prisoners with COVID-19 are now deemed to have recovered based on government health guidelines. The state Department of Public Safety calculated that more than 500 of the over 640 offenders testing positive for the new coronavirus meet criteria to be released from medical isolation. Most of the prisoners presumed recovered are housed […]
Virus Directives Mean Hundreds More NC Prisoners Go Home
Nearly 200 inmates within North Carolina’s prison system have been allowed to serve the rest of their sentences outside of prison to discourage the spread of COVID-19, state officials said Thursday. The Department of Public Safety released figures showing how it is carrying out an initiative announced last month to allow some prisoners, including those at […]
Tracking the Number of Coronavirus Cases in North Carolina
North Carolina Shatters Single-Day Record With 10,000 New COVID-19 Cases
North Carolina reported 10,398 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, shattering the single-day record for new cases as the state continues to see a significant spread of the virus. North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services reports a total of 592,746 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic. In addition, the state reported 137 […]
NC Introduces COVID-19 County Alert System Amid Record Hospitalizations
Governor Cooper announced that North Carolina is introducing a county alert system to identify counties with the highest levels of COVID-19 community spread.
North Carolina Reports Highest Single-Day Increase in COVID-19 Cases
North Carolina reported 2,532 new coronavirus cases on Thursday — the highest single-day increase in cases since the pandemic began. Data from North Carolina Health and Human Services revealed the increase, marking a new high as North Carolina has seen recent steep increases in positive COVID-19 cases. The department reports the state has experienced an increase […]
›