NC Coronavirus Update Nov 24: New Mandate Calls For Masks To Be Worn At All Times In Public Places In North Carolina

RALEIGH, NC – Here are the latest updates on COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in North Carolina.

TUESDAY MORNING STORY LINES

North Carolinians are digesting the rules behind a stricter face coverage mandate that goes into effect on Wednesday. The state is trying to reverse the huge spike in COVID-19 cases as we enter the holiday season.

The new guidelines say masks must be worn at all times inside public places. Those who exercise in gyms will now need to wear masks when training. In restaurants, masks must be worn at all times, except when eating or drinking. Previously, masks were only to be worn if it was not possible to keep a distance of six feet from other people.

“Our actions will determine the fate of many,” Governor Roy Cooper said Monday. “Today’s executive order will tighten that mandate even further, making it clear that everyone must wear a mask whenever you are with someone you don’t live with.

North Carolina is one of many states to tighten restrictions on COVID-19. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tightened restrictions on casinos, restaurants and private gatherings starting Tuesday. Most counties in California are under a curfew, and Los Angeles County officials will ban in-person meals for at least three weeks.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts warned Monday he could impose tighter social distancing restrictions before Thanksgiving if hospitalizations continue to rise.

MONDAY

5 p.m.
In an interview with ABC News, Ruud Dobber, director of AstraZeneca in the United States and executive vice president of BioPharmaceuticals Business, said he was “incredibly happy, somewhat emotional” and “incredibly proud” to see results of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine trial.

Dobber explained that because the vaccine seemed more effective with a smaller dose (half a dose) followed by a full dose, more vaccines will be available to more people. “It’s a big victory from a manufacturing point of view as well.” In fact, as ABC11’s Michael Perchick reported, if cleared by the FDA, AstraZeneca hopes to distribute up to 3 billion doses worldwide by the end of 2021, with doses in the United States in the spring. next.

Additionally, Dobber pointed out that the AstraZeneca vaccine does not need to be stored at freezing temperatures, unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be stored at -80 degrees Celsius. In a previous interview, Dr Tony Moody, director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, said freezers that reach these cold temperatures are extremely expensive – over $ 12,000 – and might not be available for small medical facilities or drugstores. , especially in more rural areas.

WATCH: Dobber discusses the safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates

2:30 in the afternoon
Governor Roy Cooper has announced a tightening of the state mask mandate.

“Today’s executive order will tighten that mandate even further, making it clear that everyone must wear a mask whenever you’re with someone you don’t live with,” Cooper said.

Previous state guidelines provided for a mask to be worn when it was not possible to keep six feet from other people; the new guidelines state that masks must be worn at all times inside public places.

Cooper’s announcement on Monday came as COVID-19 metrics in North Carolina and across the country continue to move in the wrong direction. Specifically, NCDHHS Secretary Dr Mandy Cohen said that while the percentage of positive tests has declined over the past week, it is still higher than it was before, and although hospitals still have capacity, the state continues to set almost daily records for the largest number. of people hospitalized with COVID-19.

In addition, the NCDHHS updated its county alert map of COVID-19 cases, and within a week, the number of counties in the “red zone,” meaning critical viral spread, doubled to 20. There are 42 counties in the “orange zone,” which means substantial spread – one less than last week.

Cooper once again reiterated that he did not want to back down the state in its plan for phased reopening. However, he warned that if conditions continue to worsen, he might not have a choice.

14 hours

The holiday hustle and bustle just isn’t the same at RDU.

“It’s hard to watch,” said Michael Landguth, CEO and President of RDU.

Airport officials expect 167,000 passengers to cross the RDU this week. Last year, 54,800 people traveled on Sunday alone.

“At this time of year, RDU usually takes stock of holiday travel. But as you well know, 2020 has been a very different year, ”said Landguth.

Even though the numbers are not what we are used to, the airport is preparing to welcome larger crowds. It has stepped up its cleaning procedures, installed signage to promote social distancing and masks are necessary.

“All passengers, when going through RDU, must wear a face mask when entering this facility, when going through the checkpoint, and also when boarding the aircraft. I can’t stress this enough, ”Landguth said.

And these measures seem to work as people become more confident and feel safe when they decide to return to friendly heaven.

“We’ll be there when they’re ready to come back and fly, and we’ll grow up again,” Landguth said.

If you want to make sure you pack enough hand sanitizer, for now, the TSA allows a bottle up to 12 ounces. He will simply have to go through an additional security check.

– Reporting by Ana Rivera

12:20
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has released new COVID-19 numbers.

Thirty more people are now in hospital suffering from symptoms of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 1,601 – the highest on record.

The state reported 2,419 more cases, which is down from previous days, but Mondays tend to have lower case reports than other days of the week.

The positive daily percentage of cases reported on Monday was 6.6%. This continues to decline from the 9.4% reported last Monday.

In total, this virus killed 5,039 North Carolinians.

12h00
The season opener for the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team has been postponed due to COVID-19.

Duke was supposed to play Gardner-Webb, but positive COVID-19 tests in the Gardner-Webb program forced Duke to change his plans.

The team now plan to open the season on Saturday against Coppin State at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

MONDAY MORNING STORY LINES

In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper is expected to speak Monday afternoon on the state’s response to the pandemic. North Carolina health officials reported 4,514 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, the largest increase in one day since the pandemic began in March. Cooper’s briefing will be broadcast live on air and on abc11.com at 2 p.m.

Last week, Governor Cooper was asked about the possibility of implementing more restrictions if the state achieves a 10% positivity rate for COVID-19 tests.

“We need to do a lot more testing, but the positive percentage tells us a lot about our situation,” Cooper replied. “It’s a combination of parameters that we use to make our decisions.”

Raleigh Durham International officials will talk about how they plan to handle the holiday travel rush during a briefing at 10:30 am. On Thursday RDU made its first international flight since March, when a JetBlue flight took off for Cancun. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control advised people not to travel for the Thanksgiving vacation.

For a list of COVID-19 testing sites near you, check out this state site.

AstraZeneca said on Monday that advanced stage trials showed its COVID-19 vaccine with the University of Oxford to be up to 90% effective in preventing the disease.

The results are based on an interim analysis of trials in the UK and Brazil of a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalizations or severe cases of COVID-19 have been reported in people receiving the vaccine, AstraZeneca said.

The trial looked at two different dosing regimens. Half a dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose at least one month apart was 90% effective. A second regimen using two full doses one month apart was 62% effective. The combined results showed an average efficiency rate of 70%.

“These results show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives,” Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the trial, said in a statement. “Excitingly, we have found that one of our dosing regimens can be around 90% effective. ”