RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina remains paused in Phase 3 of its reopening plan because health leaders are concerned about an uptick in new cases and a rise in other key metrics.
On Friday, daily cases shattered a record with more than 2,700 confirmed.
Saturday was only slightly lower, but new cases fell below 2,000 on Sunday.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) confirmed 1,643 new cases on Monday. 1,193 people are in hospitals statewide, and 4,170 North Carolinians have died from COVID-19 complications since the pandemic started.
Let's look at the percentage of tests returning positive. Unfortunately, it's not meeting the goal that health leaders want to see. For the past week, this metric has been near or above 7%. On Friday, the record high day for new cases, 7.2% of tests were positive.
The state's goal is 5% for 14 consecutive days.
The extended Phase 3 remains in effect until at least 5 p.m. November 13.
State health leaders are warning of coronavirus clusters stemming from social events and parties and urge you to continue wearing masks and social distance.