COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 30

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

More than 1,700 new cases reported

At least 1,532,250 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 18,714 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday, Nov. 29, reported 1,725 new COVID-19 cases. A total of 38 coronavirus-related deaths have been added since Wednesday, Nov. 24, the last time the health department published COVID-19 data. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.

At least 1,077 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday, Nov. 28, including 291 adults being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.

As of Saturday, Nov. 27, the latest date with available information, 8.3% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.

Roughly 72% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 68% have been fully vaccinated. Out of the state’s total population, about 57% are fully vaccinated and 61% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.

Wells Fargo changes COVID vaccine policy for workers

All employees will have to get vaccinated against the coronavirus or consent to regular testing before returning to in-person work at Wells Fargo, the company said in an internal memo.

Workers will have to report their vaccination status by Dec. 4, The Charlotte Observer reported. Employees will be given paid time off to get the vaccine and can upload a picture of their CDC vaccination card to show if they have already been vaccinated.

Wells Fargo plans to bring all employees back to the office on Jan. 10.

Two more Hurricanes players in COVID protocol

Brett Pesce and Tony DeAngelo, two defensemen for the Carolina Hurricanes, have joined the list of players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

They are the second and third Hurricanes players to have been placed in the protocol after Ethan Bear, The News & Observer reported. Pesce and DeAngelo are quarantining and will be monitored by the medical staff, the team said.

Raleigh family stuck in South Africa due to omicron variant

Broadway actress Lauren Kennedy, who co-founded Theatre Raleigh, and three members of her family have been stuck in Johannesburg, South Africa, since Friday as the world waits for more information on the omicron variant.

The family, who was on a African safari vacation, has had 10 flights back to the U.S. canceled over the variant, K.D. Kennedy, Lauren Kennedy’s father, told The News & Observer. They have more flights scheduled for the night of Monday, Nov. 29, and are hoping they will go through.

No cases of the omicron variant have been reported in the U.S. South Africa was first to report the variant to the World Health Organization, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“CDC is continuously monitoring variants and the U.S. variant surveillance system has reliably detected new variants in this country,” the agency said. “We expect omicron to be identified quickly, if it emerges in the U.S.”

The World Health Organization has categorized omicron as a “variant of concern.” But it’s too early for experts to know much about it, including if it causes more severe diseases.