120 New Cases In 10 Days: COVID-19 Toll In Davidson

DAVIDSON, NC — The number of Mecklenburg County's known COVID-19 cases surged to nearly 75,000 this week, an increase of nearly 9,000 new cases in the span of a week.

In Davidson, at least 1,014 cases and nine COVID-19 deaths were confirmed as of Jan. 15, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data. The tally represents an increase of at least 120 new cases in Davidson in the span of 10 days.

Mecklenburg County Public Health reported that as of Jan. 13, the county's total case count included 74,885 cases and 675 COVID-19 deaths, an increase of 87 lives lost to the virus in the county since last Jan. 5.

According to county public health officials, this week an average of 13.8 percent of those tested in the county were positive for coronavirus, down from 15.8 percent reported the week prior.

As of Friday, at least 19,392 people had received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Mecklenburg County, along with 3,966 people who had completed their vaccine series, DHHS said. Statewide, 238,344 first doses of vaccine have been distributed, and 44,271 have received a completed vaccine series.

The tally of those infected with the virus is conservative, county health officials said.

"Many individuals infected by COVID-19 have not been tested because they are asymptomatic," MCPH said in a statement. "As such, these results are very fluid and only represent a fraction of the true burden of COVID-19 in our community."

Earlier this week, and citing the spike in cases throughout the county, Mecklenburg County Public Heath Director Gibbie Harris issued a new directive, saying county residents should only leave their homes for essential activities and schools and jobs should utilize all virtual options available for the next three weeks. According to county public health officials, Mecklenburg is currently reporting an average of 900 new COVID-19 cases a day, up from about 100 cases a day reported in September.

"The exponential growth in the number of COVID- 19 cases, hospitalizations and related deaths require action on the part of every member of our community," Harris said.

"We're hoping that after three weeks, we will start to see numbers move in the right direction," she added, "We can't continue to maintain at this level."

The surge in cases is having a direct impact on hospital capacity in the Charlotte metro region. As of Jan. 15, there were 28 staffed intensive care unit beds representing about 6 percent of supply and 1,007 staffed inpatient hospital beds representing about 22 percent of supply remaining vacant in the 13 counties that comprise the Charlotte metro region, according to DHHS data.

In an emergency meeting Thursday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education heeded the warning, voting to keep students in remote learning through early February.
"None of us wants to delay our students' return to classrooms," Board Chair Elyse Dashew said. "But the metrics do not support a safe return right now. We have considered the directive issued by [Harris] in making this decision, but the decision must be — and has been — made by us, the elected members of the Board of Education."

Under the remote learning plan approved Jan. 14, CMS students will return to classes in two phases:

• Pre-K, elementary, K-8 and students with disabilities who have been identified through an IEP process to receive in-person services will return to class on Feb. 15.
• Students in traditional middle and high schools will return to in-person instruction on Feb. 22.

As of Friday, North Carolina public health officials reported 8,914 new cases and 108 deaths since Thursday. The new cases increased the state's tally of known cases to 659,840, as the death toll increased to 7,933 lives lost to the virus since March.

SEE ALSO:

• Mecklenburg Directive Calls For 3 Weeks Of Remote Work, School
• Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Unveiled For Charlotte Metro
• Updated Vaccine Plan In NC Means Those 65 And Over Now Eligible
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools To Remain Remote Until February