21 New Coronavirus Deaths In NC; Over 1,000 New Cases

CHARLOTTE, NC — At least 1,185 cases of new coronavirus were confirmed Saturday, increasing the state's total to 27,673 cases, as health officials continue to expand testing around the state. The number of coronavirus-related deaths increased to 877 after 21 people lost their lives to the illness since Friday, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The state collected results from 12,926 tests Saturday, increasing the total number of tests processed in the state to 404,157. The state's goal is to test between 5,000 and 7,000 people per day and state public health officials say increases in the number of confirmed cases are expected as testing ramps up throughout North Carolina.

COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities included 5,250 confirmed cases Friday, or about 20 percent of the total cases in the state, according to NC DHHS data.

As of Saturday, 91 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 42 residential care facilities and 19 correctional facilities. At least 461 nursing home residents, 65 residential care facility residents and 18 inmates in North Carolina have died from coronavirus-related illness.

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Hospitalizations dipped by 42 overnight for 638 patients with coronavirus-related illness as of Saturday.

As of May 25, an estimated 14,954 residents who were confirmed to have the coronavirus are considered likely recovered, NC DHHS said.

According to the state agency, a survey of about 88 percent of the state's hospitals shows that 23 percent of North Carolina's ventilators are currently in use. The supply of hospital beds in North Carolina, is growing thin, with 82 percent of the state's intensive care beds and 78 percent of inpatient hospital beds listed as in use Friday.

Mecklenburg County, the hardest hit county in the state, reported 21 new cases Saturday, for a total of 3,858 confirmed cases. The county has also reported one new COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 89.

Globally, more than 5.9 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 365,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday morning. In the United States, more than 1.7 million people have been infected and over 102,000 people have died from COVID-19.

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