NC COVID-19 Hospitalizations Up To 870, Cases Near 54,000

CHARLOTTE, NC — The percent of tests for novel coronavirus in North Carolina coming back positive was 9 percent Monday, as the state's tally of confirmed cases rose by more than 800 cases overnight, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Monday.

This week, Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to make a decision on the status of the state's "Phase 2" reopening, which is set to expire Friday, unless it is extended or changed. Over the weekend Cooper vetoed a state house bill that would have allowed gyms, fitness centers and other exercise facilities to reopen.

"Tying the hands of public health officials in times of pandemic is dangerous, especially when case counts and hospitalizations are rising," said Cooper in a statement on HB 594. "State and local officials must be able to take swift action during the COVID-19 emergency to prevent a surge of patients from overwhelming hospitals and endangering the lives of North Carolinians."

SEE ALSO: 1.4K New Virus Cases In NC; Governor Vetoes Gym Reopening Bill

State labs confirmed 53,605 cases of COVID-19 Monday, including 804 new cases confirmed since Sunday. As of Monday, labs had processed more than 757,000 tests, DHHS said.

North Carolina's coronavirus death toll increased to 1,223 lives lost from COVID-19 Monday following three new deaths since Sunday. Hospitalizations also increased to 870, up from 845 reported Sunday.

The increase in hospitalizations left about three out of every four hospital beds occupied. That's according to a DHHS survey of about 73 percent of the state's hospitals, which showed 76 percent of inpatient and 79 percent of intensive care unit hospital beds were occupied Monday. Ventilator readiness, by contrast, was greater with about 30 percent of the state's supply reportedly in use Monday.

COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities — such as nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities — rose to 7,272 confirmed cases Monday. The case count represents about 14 percent of the total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the state.

As of Monday, 107 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 60 residential care facilities and 19 correctional facilities.

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As of Monday, 9 percent of all tests in North Carolina were positive. The World Health Organization recommends that governments have a percent positive rate of 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days before reopening.

North Carolina was one of 21 states identified as having a higher-than-recommended positivity rate and in need of increased COVID-19 testing capacity, Johns Hopkins University said. As of June 22, it had the tenth highest positivity rate in the country, behind Georgia and ahead of Oklahoma. The U.S. positivity rate Monday was 13.54 percent.

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