NC COVID-19 Update: 422 New Cases, 19 Percent Of ICU Beds Open

NORTH CAROLINA — The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in North Carolina increased by 422 Wednesday, for a total of 20,122 cases, according to the latest batch of data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

At least 11 coronavirus-related deaths were reported in the state since Tuesday, pushing the death toll to 702. As of Wednesday, there were 554 people hospitalized with coronavirus-related illness, 31 fewer than reported Tuesday.

As of May 18, an estimated 11,637 residents who were confirmed to have the coronavirus are considered likely recovered, NC DHHS said.

According to the state agency, a survey of about 92 percent of the state's hospitals shows that 24 percent of North Carolina's ventilators are currently in use.

The demand for the state's supply of hospital beds, however, is growing, with 19 percent of the state's intensive care beds and 26 percent of inpatient hospital beds listed as available Wednesday.

State public health officials say increases in the number of confirmed cases are expected as testing ramps up throughout North Carolina. The state collected results from 12,595 tests on Wednesday, which increased the total number of tests processed in the state to 277,603. The state's goal is to test between 5,000 and 7,000 people per day.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in North Carolina. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities included 4,495 confirmed cases Tuesday, or about 23 percent of the total cases in the state, according to NC DHHS data.

As of Wednesday, there were 77 nursing homes, 33 residential care facilities and 18 correctional facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks. At least 375 nursing home residents, 55 residential care facility residents and 14 inmates in North Carolina have died from coronavirus-related illness.
Mecklenburg County continues to report the most number of positive cases. As of Wednesday, 2,780 people had tested positive and 67 COVID-19 deaths were reported in the county, DHHS said.

In the Research Triangle, Wake County reported 1,307 confirmed cases and 30 deaths as of Wednesday. Durham County reported 1,084 confirmed cases and 41 deaths.

Avery County reported its first COVID-19 case Tuesday, confirming the coronavirus is now present in all 100 counties in North Carolina.

Globally, nearly 5 million have been infected by COVID-19, and nearly 326,000 people have lost their lives, Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday afternoon. In the U.S., more than 1.5 million people have been infected and at least 92,712 people have died from COVID-19.

RELATED:

• Cooper Expected To Unveil Phase 2 Reopening: How To Watch
• 'You Can Easily Kill Someone': Cooper Slams COVID-19 Parties
• NC Coronavirus Survey: Majority Happy With Cooper, Not With Trump
• Need a Coronavirus Test? List Of Mecklenburg County Locations