Cleveland County's COVID-19 cases up 17.7%; North Carolina cases surge 31.3%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
Making Sacrifices 2 of 8Dimitri screams with delight when he gets the answer.Luis and Irene Ferrolho have spent most of the past 15 months of the pandemic at home with their children, twins Alexandra and Dimitri, 8 years old. Because Dimitri suffers from severe disability due to being born premature, they can’t risk exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Irene had to quit her job and help the children with virtual learning and therapy and Luis does his work online from home. While they have grown closer to each other, they do look forward to less isolation when it is safer for Dimitri

New coronavirus cases leaped in North Carolina in the week ending Sunday, rising 31.3% as 18,479 cases were reported. The previous week had 14,071 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

North Carolina ranked 21st 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 increased 21.4% from the week before, with 605,127 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country's population, North Carolina had 3.05% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 47 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

North Carolina reported more than 1,100 backlogged deaths on May 4 following a death certificate review. The state plans more reviews monthly. They will skew week-to-week comparisons significantly.

Cleveland County reported 73 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 62 cases and 22 deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 29,743 cases and 387 deaths.

Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Swain County with 371 cases per 100,000 per week; Hyde County with 365; and Durham County with 363. 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 3,744 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 2,364 cases; and Guilford County, with 1,268. Weekly case counts rose in 76 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Wake, Mecklenburg and Durham counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

North Carolina ranked 14th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 84.3% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Wednesday, North Carolina reported administering another 76,417 vaccine doses, including 23,214 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 79,974 vaccine doses, including 21,125 first doses. In all, North Carolina reported it has administered 16,750,134 total doses.

Across North Carolina, cases fell in 23 counties, with the best declines in Cumberland County, with 529 cases from 797 a week earlier; in Alexander County, with 14 cases from 33; and in Jackson County, with 115 cases from 134.

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Related: 3 things to know about Cleveland County's population increase

In North Carolina, 11 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 1,172 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,691,805 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 24,588 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 82,468,606 people have tested positive and 999,602 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, May 15.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 1,478

  • The week before that: 1,172

  • Four weeks ago: 1,206

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 49,753

  • The week before that: 44,912

  • Four weeks ago: 37,527

Hospitals in 45 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 29 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 41 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.

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland County reported 73 additional COVID-19 cases this week