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 new deaths associated with the virus on Thursday— bringing the total number of residents who have died from COVID-19 to 7,213.

The new single-day record comes as the state is currently distributing the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The state confirmed on Thursday it has begun Phase 1B of the vaccine distribution, which allows for 75-year-old residents and older to receive the vaccine without chronic condition requirements. Phase 1A of distribution prioritized healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper deployed the National Guard to further assist with vaccine distribution efforts. He said vaccinating at-risk individuals across the state “is our top priority right now.”

“As we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are also helping local hospitals and health departments to support their vaccine efforts. Getting the vaccine out quickly is the most urgent priority right now, and we will use everything and everyone needed to get the job done,” Cooper said.

Cooper recently extended North Carolina’s stay-at-home order, which requires residents to be home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., until January 29. North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen cited the rising number of cases as the reasoning for the extension and warned residents that the state is in a “very dangerous position.”

“North Carolinians need to take immediate actions to save lives, slow the spread of the virus, and protect hospital capacity so that medical care is available to anyone who may need it, whether for COVID-19 or for any other reason,” said Cohen.

Data from NCDHHS shows, as of Tuesday morning, more than 100,000 residents have received the first dose of the vaccine and nearly 500 have completed the two-dose cycle.

More information for Orange County residents 75 and older who want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here.

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
‹
Tracking the Number of Coronavirus Cases in North Carolina
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 […]
North Carolina to Relax 10-Person Limit for GOP Convention
North Carolina will ease gathering restrictions for the Republican National Convention in Charlotte this month after a push by the national party for the state to be more accommodating. But the Aug. 21-24 event culminating in President Donald Trump’s nomination will be nothing like conventions of previous years in which prominent politicians and party leaders […]
Bill to Reopen NC Gyms, Bars Sent to Skeptical Governor After Passing House
The North Carolina legislature passed another bill on Wednesday overturning parts of Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order that keep certain businesses closed to discourage the spread of COVID-19. As with previous legislation sent to him seeking to reopen bars, Cooper is also likely to veto the latest measure, which also ends the shuttering of gyms […]
Trump Threatens to Move RNC Without Assurances from Governor Cooper
President Donald Trump threatened Monday to pull the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina if the state’s Democratic governor doesn’t immediately sign off on allowing a full-capacity gathering in August despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Trump’s tweets about the RNC, planned for Charlotte, come just two days after North Carolina recorded its largest daily increase in […]
N.C. Farmers Start Euthanizing 1.5M Chickens Amid Pandemic
Coronavirus outbreaks at meat processing plants are forcing North Carolina farmers to euthanize 1.5 million chickens, according to a state official. Assistant Agriculture Commissioner Joe Reardon told The News & Observer that this is the first time during the pandemic that North Carolina farmers have had to euthanize their animals. Roughly a third of the […]
North Carolina Jobless Rate Increases to 12% Amid COVID-19
North Carolina’s unemployment rate ballooned to just over 12% in April as the state dealt with a coronavirus-related economic slowdown, state officials said Friday. The rate represents a nearly 8 point increase from the rate in March, which had been around 4 percent. The national rate for April was 14.7%. The number of people classified […]
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 […]
North Carolina Transportation Department Furloughs Employees
The North Carolina Department of Transportation told its employees to take unpaid time off until the end of June to help the department save money as part of cost-cutting measures during the coronavirus pandemic. The department’s 9,300 employees will have until June 26 to take 20 hours of unpaid time off, Transportation Secretary J. Eric […]
›