North Carolina sees highest single-day COVID-19 case increase with 9,527 cases reported Jan. 1; Over 18K cases reported across 2 days

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released their daily update involving COVID-19 cases within the state.

As of Thursday, there are now 510,515 PCR positive cases and 47,922 antigen positive cases, 3,479 people hospitalized and 6,892 COVID-19 related deaths.

The NC COVID-19 dashboards were not updated on Friday, January 1 due to the state holiday. Saturday's report showed that Friday broke the state's record for the highest single-day COVID-19 case increase by more than 1,000 cases, with 9,527 cases reported. 9,365 cases were reported between Friday and Saturday, bringing the state's two-day total to above 18,000 cases.

144 deaths were reported between Thursday and Saturday.

“We begin 2021 in our most dangerous position in this pandemic. We have critically high rates of spread in much of our state,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D., in a statement. “I encourage you to avoid getting together indoors with anyone who doesn’t live with you. If you plan to see other people keep it outside and very small. Wear a mask the whole time. We must do all that we can to protect one another.”

According to the statement,the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued stark warnings to North Carolinians earlier in the week, including:

• If you are under 40 and you gathered beyond your immediate household, you need to assume you became infected with COVID-19 even if you don’t have any symptoms. You are dangerous to others and must isolate away from anyone at increased risk for severe disease and get tested.
• If you are over 65 or if you have significant health conditions, you should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked and you should have groceries and medications delivered.

Local areas reported a cumulative 370 cases and 2 deaths over the two days.

A total of 7,031,462 total COVID-19 tests have been completed in North Carolina.