Latest COVID-19 report shows a new high for N.C. hospitalizations

North Carolina saw a new high for COVID-19 hospitalizations Sunday, state health officials reported.

A total of 3,123 patients were in the state’s hospitals being treated for the virus, a day after the state reported surpassing a half million positive tests over the past 10 months. That’s 25 patients above the previous high of 3,098 patients the state reported three days earlier.

December has shown a big jump in hospitalizations as cold weather drove more people indoors and Thanksgiving travel exposed more people to the virus. Hospitalizations have doubled since mid-November.

Officials have urged people to limit their travel during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to try to reduce the virus’ spread.

The state Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday there were 2,898 newly reported cases for a total of 516,828 cases. Twenty-three more people died, DHHS said, bringing total COVID-19 related deaths to 6,549.

The daily positive rate for cases reached 11.9%, far above what state officials have said would allow for an easing of restrictions. That rate has been above 10% for all but one day of December, and edged above 12% twice, state data shows. The rate reflects the ratio of positive tests over total tests taken.

As North Carolina and other states continued on a worrisome track, federal unemployment benefits to help those who lost work during the pandemic expired at midnight Saturday, national news media reported, after President Donald Trump left for his resort in Mar-a-Lago for the holidays without signing legislation Congress had overwhelmingly approved. The legislation also extends a moratorium on evictions scheduled to expire Dec. 31, and aid to small businesses.