Cleveland County's COVID-19 cases up 82.4%; North Carolina cases surge 21.2%
New coronavirus cases leaped in North Carolina in the week ending Sunday, rising 21.2% as 14,071 cases were reported. The previous week had 11,605 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
North Carolina ranked 21st among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 33.2% from the week before, with 501,037 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country's population, North Carolina had 2.81% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 43 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
North Carolina reported more than 1,100 backlogged deaths on May 4 following a death certificate review. The state plans more reviews monthly. They will skew week-to-week comparisons significantly.
Cleveland County reported 62 cases and 22 deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it reported 34 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 29,670 cases and 386 deaths.
Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Swain County with 364 cases per 100,000 per week; Jackson County with 305; and Durham County with 272. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Wake County, with 2,730 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 1,671 cases; and Guilford County, with 1,072. Weekly case counts rose in 70 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Wake, Mecklenburg and Forsyth counties.
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North Carolina ranked 14th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 84.3% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Wednesday, North Carolina reported administering another 76,417 vaccine doses, including 23,214 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 79,974 vaccine doses, including 21,125 first doses. In all, North Carolina reported it has administered 16,750,134 total doses.
Across North Carolina, cases fell in 28 counties, with the best declines in Orange County, with 325 cases from 389 a week earlier; in Yancey County, with 26 cases from 74; and in Cumberland County, with 797 cases from 838.
In North Carolina, 1,172 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 42 people were reported dead.
A total of 2,673,326 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 24,577 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 81,863,725 people have tested positive and 997,526 people have died.
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North Carolina's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 8.
Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 1,263
- The week before that: 1,137
- Four weeks ago: 1,087
Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 45,875
- The week before that: 42,092
- Four weeks ago: 37,354
Hospitals in 36 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 32 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 35 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.