RALEIGH, N.C. _ New lab-confirmed coronavirus cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina rose again Tuesday after two days of declines.
The state Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,815 new cases Tuesday. COVID-19 hospitalizations appear to have reached a new high of at least 1,179.
Last Friday in its daily, midday update, DHHS had reported 1,180 people with COVID-19 were in hospitals. DHHS has since lowered that number to 1,178, making Tuesday's announcement the new single-day record.
Since the state's first lab-confirmed case in March, 102,861 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. The official total is likely an undercount, because testing was rationed early in the pandemic and not all people with symptoms could get tested.
On Monday, 8% of tests were positive. The positivity percentage has ranged between 7% and 10%.
The state reported 1,668 COVID-19 deaths, up 26 from Monday's count.
Even with Tuesday's increase, total cases have declined over seven days compared to the previous seven days.
In a news conference Tuesday, DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said the numbers have not yet leveled, pointing to Saturday's single-day record of new lab confirmed cases.
"We still know we have a high number of new cases coming back," she said.
In recent months, testing has expanded and state health officials have encouraged some to be tested even if they don't have symptoms, particularly those who have been in crowds or who are at risk of severe COVID-19 illness.
This month, the state plans to establish up to 300 temporary testing sites in underserved communities.
Though Latinos are less than 10% of the state population, they represent 43% of confirmed coronavirus cases where race and ethnicity information is available. Black residents are about 22% of the population and represent 24% of coronavirus cases, according to DHHS.
DHHS reported Monday that 78,707 people are presumed recovered. The estimate is based on when people are tested and whether or not they were hospitalized.
Mecklenburg has more cases than any other county, and hospitals in the region had the most COVID-19 patients,
DHHS began showing hospitalization information by region that includes how many patients with COVID-19 were admitted in 24-hours, how many suspected of having COVID-19 were admitted, and how many adult COVID-19 patients were in ICUs.
Cohen said Tuesday that officials look at hospital trends, including how quickly ICU beds fill up.
ICU use is stable, said Cohen, which is "a good sign."
