RALEIGH, N.C. — COVID-19 metrics are rising, vaccines are slowing down, and variants are spreading in North Carolina.
The state health department said Friday new COVID-19 cases have rapidly increased among those who are unvaccinated.
North Carolina labs confirmed nearly 2,000 new cases on Friday – the most, by far, in three months. NCDHHS said more than 94% of recent COVID-19 cases are among people who aren’t fully vaccinated.
"Unvaccinated North Carolinians are unnecessarily getting sick, being hospitalized and dying,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. "Don’t wait to vaccinate. And if you haven’t gotten your shot, you need to wear a mask indoors at all times when you are in public spaces."
The state’s positivity rate stayed in the 6% range for the second straight day. That’s above the state’s target of 5% or lower.
More than 800 people are in hospitals with COVID-19 – the state’s 13th consecutive daily increase. Hospitalizations have doubled since July 9 and are at the highest they’ve been since May 11, NCDHHS officials said.
Those trends come with two main factors at play: the spreading Delta variant and stalling vaccinations.
We’ve seen only 1% increases in vaccinations every couple weeks.
60% of adults have had at least one dose, compared to 68% nationally.
57% of all eligible North Carolinians (age 12 and up) have gotten at least one dose.
Fewer than half of all North Carolinians are fully-vaccinated.