North Carolina added 6,715new COVID-19 cases to its dashboard Dec. 31, as the state Department of Health and Human Services website notes that dueto a technical issue, Dec. 31's numbers represent only 12 hours of data, compared to36 hours of data being added on Dec. 30 instead of the normal 24 hours of data.
According to Dec. 31's update, the addition raised the total for the pandemic to 539,545.
As of Dec. 30,COVID-19 deaths in the state totaled 6,748.
In Buncombe County, another 122cases Dec. 31increased the new total to 9,195, and a total of 159deaths.
Hospitalizations
Hospitals continue seeinghighlevels of COVID-19 patientsacross the state, as Mission Health again reported its most-ever lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients on Dec. 31, the eleventh time it has set a new high this month.
Statewide, North Carolina reported 3,472COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Dec. 30, a new record.
The state reported 386confirmed positive patients admitted in the previous 24 hours.
At Mission Health, there were 164lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients across five area hospitals, reported spokeswoman Nancy Lindell, a five-patient increase from the day before, and the third day in a row that the system has set a new record.
Of patients in the hospital as of 9:30 a.m. Dec. 31,132were at Mission Hospital in Asheville, 10at Angel Medical Center in Franklin, sevenat Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, 10at Mission Hospital McDowell in Marion and fiveat Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard.
More:Buncombe County starts giving COVID-19 vaccinations. See who will get the vaccine when.
The Mountain Area Healthcare Preparedness Coalition, which covers the 17 westernmost counties, posted its most ever 232current COVID-19 hospitalizations Dec. 30.
Thirty-sevenCOVID-19 patients were admitted to MAHPC hospitals in the previous 24-hour reporting period.
The latest counts and testing data
Statewide, almost 6.9 million COVID-19 tests had been completed as of Dec. 30, including 55,332 tests on Dec. 30, showing an increase back toward normal levels of testing from steep drops over the Christmas holiday.
On Dec. 29, when 35,149 tests were completed, 13.3% were reported positive, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
In Buncombe County, the 14-day average test positivity rate is 9.4%.
The latest confirmed case counts and COVID-19 deaths among Western North Carolina counties, according to NCDHHS, as of Dec. 29:
- Avery: 1,342cases, 15 deaths.
- Buncombe: 9,195cases, 159deaths.
- Cherokee: 1,257cases, 15 deaths.
- Clay: 368cases, 5 deaths.
- Graham: 395cases, 11 deaths.
- Haywood: 2,136cases, 61deaths.
- Henderson: 5,340cases, 89 deaths.
- Jackson: 2,259cases, 18deaths.
- Macon: 1,400cases, 9 deaths.
- Madison: 797cases, 19 deaths.
- McDowell: 3,066cases, 38 deaths.
- Mitchell: 875cases, 6 deaths.
- Polk: 720cases, 13 deaths.
- Swain: 692cases, 8deaths.
- Transylvania: 917cases, 10 deaths.
- Watauga: 2,605cases, 16deaths.
- Yancey: 1,031cases, 5deaths.
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Vaccinations
The state Department of Health and Human Services is posting how many people in the state are receiving the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, currently on Phase 1a in its plan, administering the vaccine to frontline health care workers at highest risk of exposure.
Numbers are updated every Tuesday, with the most current data showing figures through 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28
More:Buncombe County starts giving COVID-19 vaccinations. See who will get the vaccine when.
Statewide, 63,571 people have received the first dose of the vaccine, and no one has yet received a second required dose.
By county:
- Avery: 84
- Buncombe: 804
- Cherokee: 44
- Clay: 10
- Graham: 2
- Haywood: 389
- Henderson: 734
- Jackson: 35
- Macon: 4
- Madison: 14
- McDowell: 131
- Mitchell: 6
- Polk: 111
- Swain: 3
- Transylvania: 48
- Watauga: 425
- Yancey: 10
NC revises vaccine plan; halts evictions
The state announced Wednesday that it has reshaped its distribution plan for COVID-19 vaccines, which now paves the way for the state to focus on adults 75 and and older, writes AP reporter Bryan Anderson.
Folks in that age group can start getting vaccinated as early as next week, even if they don't have any underlying medical conditions,said Mandy Cohen, NCDHHS secretary, who made the announcement even as the state sees a decline in the number of doses it's being allocated from the federal government.
Gov. Roy Cooper also signed an executive order Dec. 30 to extend eviction moratoriums in the state through the end of January.
More:N.C. revises vaccine distribution plan to prioritize people over 75, halts evictions
Businesses team up to weather the winter
Local businesses are making a number of changes to make it through a winter of hard COVID-19 restrictions, including working together to help each other, reports Mackensy Lunsford.
One of those is OWL Bakery, where owner Susannah Gebhart is opening her kitchen to makers and displaying products from local wineries, soap makers and more.
"It wasn't about us creating a new line of revenue, it was simply to keep everyone we rely on to make the products we do — because it really comes down to our ingredients—to keep them perking along and get them some income stream in the scary unknownof the first days of the pandemic," Gebhart says in the article.
More:'We're not quitting': How local businesses are working together to get through the winter
