COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on May 24

Bailey Aldridge
·3 min read

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.

Cases surpass 995,000

At least 995,754 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 12,958 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,020 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, down from 1,187 reported on Thursday.

Eight additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Friday. Deaths don’t all occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.

At least 763 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Friday, down from 793 the day before.

As of Wednesday, the latest day for which data is available, 3.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.

More than 52% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 47.4% are fully vaccinated, according to the state health department.

The state health department did not update it COVID-19 dashboard Saturday or Sunday.

Vaccination numbers surge in Triangle with more eligible

Triangle counties are seeing their COVID-19 vaccination numbers surge after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 12 approved the Pfizer vaccine for children between 12 and 15 years old.

The increase comes after weeks of statewide and local declines in the number of new vaccinations.

Now, all Triangle counties have seen an increase in the number of new people receiving their first dose of the vaccine in the week after the CDC announcement.

In Orange County, the number rose by more than five-fold.

Between May 7 and May 14, 599 new people were partially vaccinated against COVID-19, and between May 14 and May 21, 3,199 new people were partially vaccinated.

Wake County reported an additional 4,846 were partially vaccinated between May 7 and 14, and 12,824 were partially vaccinated between May 14 and May 21.

In Durham County, 1,566 additional people became partially vaccinated between May 7 and 14 and 3,842 between May 14 and 21.

Free lunches extended at NC public schools

North Carolina public schools can continue providing free breakfast and lunch to all students through June 2022.

Free school meals were historically only offered to low-income students, but when the coronavirus pandemic caused many schools to close for in-person instruction in spring 2020, the federal government opened the school meal program to all students.

The program remained open for all students even as some schools started to reopen.

Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the Child Nutrition Program waiver to continue allowing the nation’s public schools to serve free meals to all students next school year.

“This program will ensure more students, regardless of their educational setting, can access free, healthy meals as more schools reopen their doors for in-person learning,” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.

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