North Carolina reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 19,098 new cases. That’s down 21.9% from the previous week’s tally of 24,464 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
North Carolina ranked 29th 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 decreased 1.2% from the week before, with 721,538 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country’s population, North Carolina had 2.65% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Gaston County reported 471 cases and minus two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 443 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 68,449 cases and 863 deaths.
Across North Carolina, cases fell in 69 counties, with the best declines in Watauga County, with -808 cases from 93 a week earlier; in Wake County, with 3,033 cases from 3,831; and in Craven County, with -162 cases from 331.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Pamlico County with 432 cases per 100,000 per week; Yadkin County with 335; and Durham County with 318. 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 3,033 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 2,375 cases; and Durham County, with 1,022. Weekly case counts rose in 30 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Pitt, Catawba and Moore counties.
In North Carolina, 11 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 46 people were reported dead.
A total of 2,843,077 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 25,151 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 86,967,639 people have tested positive and 1,015,938 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
North Carolina’s COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 26. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 1,743
- The week before that: 1,638
- Four weeks ago: 1,595
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 63,626
- The week before that: 57,605
- Four weeks ago: 54,872
Hospitals in 34 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 39 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.
