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COVID-19 surge continues; North Carolina reports latest single-day record for new cases

Sgt. Jamar Marcel Pugh
/
North Carolina Army National Guard photo

North Carolina again reported a single-day record for new COVID-19 cases.

On Thursday, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported that nearly one-third of all those who were tested for the virus were positive. In all, the state reported 24,292 new cases, 3,293 patients in the hospital, and 634 North Carolinians in the ICU. About 90% of those in intensive care are unvaccinated. Overall, 37% of the state’s population remains unvaccinated.

Among those who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 is Rev. William J. Barber II. The former North Carolina NAACP leader said on Twitter last night that he has mild symptoms. Barber said he was grateful for being vaccinated and having a booster shot.

Mask mandates have returned to parts of Guilford County and Carteret County, and Wake County Public Schools has extended its requirement for face coverings.

The Hyde County school board voted Tuesday to require masking indoors in the county's public schools. The school district announced the mask mandate will be in effect for at least 30 days due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among students and staff.

State Attorney General Josh Stein is encouraging North Carolinians to report price gouging for at-home COVID tests to the North Carolina Department of Justice. Stein said his office has heard that there may be price gouging occurring on the tests. North Carolina’s price gouging statute prohibits charging too much for goods and services during a crisis. It's in effect until April 5.

WUNC's Mitchell Northam and Laura Pellicer contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 North Carolina Public Radio

Jeff Tiberii first started posing questions to strangers after dinner at La Cantina Italiana, in Massachusetts, when he was two-years-old. Jeff grew up in Wayland, Ma., an avid fan of the Boston Celtics, and took summer vacations to Acadia National Park (ME) with his family. He graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, and moved to North Carolina in 2006. His experience with NPR member stations WAER (Syracuse), WFDD (Winston-Salem) and now WUNC, dates back 15 years.
Liz Schlemmer is WUNC's Education Policy Reporter, a fellowship position supported by the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. She has an M.A. from the UNC Chapel Hill School of Media & Journalism and a B.A. in history and anthropology from Indiana University.
Naomi Prioleau joined WUNC in January 2017 as their Greensboro Bureau reporter.