Coronavirus updates for Oct. 27: Here’s what to know in North Carolina this week
We’re tracking information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back every Thursday for updates.
More than 6,000 new COVID cases added
At least 6,870 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, down from 8,011 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 601 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, a drop from 655 the previous week, according to figures through Oct. 22, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 80, compared to 101 the week before.
The figures were released Wednesday, Oct. 26, about seven months after health officials started adjusting information on their coronavirus dashboard and publishing weekly COVID-19 data. Health officials released the previous two weeks of data in one day “due to a technical issue.”
Roughly 78% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 73% have finished an initial round of vaccine doses. Of the state’s total population, about 63% finished their initial round and about 67% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination metrics to the nearest whole number.
More than 3.9 million “first original booster/additional doses” have been administered in North Carolina as of Oct. 26, the health department said. Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get boosted, as data shows it offers increased protection against the omicron coronavirus variant.
Across the state, virtually all new COVID-19 cases were attributed to the omicron variant’s “lineages” in the two weeks leading up to Oct. 15, the latest time period for which data is available.
COVID relief funds sought for NC hotel that housed 200
A North Carolina hotel is asking for pandemic-related funding after its closure left 200 people displaced.
Nearly two dozen people still live at Southern Comfort Inn in Charlotte even though problems with bugs and mold continue, The Charlotte Observer reported on Oct. 26.
Now the group Freedom Community Outreach is asking for $1.7 million to help revitalize the extended-stay hotel. The request comes as Charlotte leaders are considering how to spend COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan.
April Benson, the project manager, said even a fraction of the requested amount of money could help.
“With $500,000, we can continue to get the property upgraded and rooms back in order,” Benson said, according to The Charlotte Observer. “People are trying to survive. We’re providing services with $0.”
NC couple accused in scheme involving COVID loans
Two people accused of using COVID-19 relief loans to hide a financial scheme are going to prison.
Federal prosecutors said the husband and wife tried to cover their tracks after stealing nearly $240,000 from the booster club at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte.
Now, the husband is sentenced to 30 months in prison, while the wife must serve 21 months. Both are ordered to pay thousands of dollars, The Charlotte Observer reported on Oct. 25.
NC test scores drop, showing pandemic impact
Test scores for North Carolina public school students dropped in reading and math, marking the lowest performance in more than two decades, results show.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress results show that the progress made before the coronavirus pandemic upended normal instruction have been lost, The News & Observer reported on Oct. 24.
In a news conference, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona called the results “appalling and unacceptable.
“They’re a reminder of the impact this pandemic had on our learners and the important work that we must do now for our students.”
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, one of the urban districts that the test focuses on, recorded its worst-ever scores scores, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“The scores are a fresh reminder of the pandemic’s profound effect on students across America,” said Elyse Dashew, chair of the district’s school board. “In CMS, too, the impact was devastating, even while our students outperformed national and state averages. We must double down in our commitment as a board, district, and community to provide children with the necessary resources and support to recover from this historic interruption in learning.”
Elsewhere in the state, Wake County public school officials reported a drop in performance levels since the pandemic started.
“The impact of the pandemic is going to ripple through our state’s testing and accountability results for years to come,” said Brad McMillen, an assistant superintendent in the district. “This is not the end of the impact by a long shot.”
Study finds change in common COVID symptoms
As the coronavirus continues to spread, there has been a change in the most common symptoms reported around the world, a new study finds.
The Zoe Health Study, a project based in the United Kingdom, has collected data about symptoms through a tracker app. It has found “symptoms as recorded previously are changing with the evolving variants of the virus,” results show.
Many of the most common symptoms were the same across different groups: those who haven’t been vaccinated, have had one COVID-19 vaccine dose or have had two doses, according to the findings. But the top five signs were different for each group, McClatchy News reported on Oct. 24.
More details about the project’s findings are available here.
Wake offering bivalent booster appointments to younger kids
Wake County, home to Raleigh, is now offering doses of the new COVID-19 booster vaccines to younger children.
The shots are called bivalent boosters, which were designed to target strains of the omicron coronavirus variant.
Children ages 5 to 11 are eligible to receive doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and those ages 6 to 11 are able to receive the Moderna version, The News & Observer reported on Oct. 20.
More information about vaccine sites and appointments can be found online at wakegov.com/vaccines.
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