CASES TOP 3,300
North Carolina has at least 3,321 reported cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday morning, and 54 people have died, according to state and county health departments.
Nearly one-fourth of the state’s reported cases — 810 — are in Mecklenburg County, which has seen eight deaths.
The Triangle has about 700 reported cases in Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston counties.
More than 350 in the state were in the hospital with the virus as of Tuesday evening, and 41,082 has been tested, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services says.
PLANS FOR NEW EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news conference Tuesday that he will issue new executive orders this week, including one to limit the number of people allowed in stores at once.
The governor said the statewide stay-at-home order is working, but he doesn’t know when it will be lifted.
He also discouraged Easter and Passover gatherings.
UNEMPLOYMENT
North Carolina is set to pass 500,000 unemployment claims by the end of the week, with an average of 21,000 people filing claims every day in recent weeks.
Nearly $30 million in unemployment benefits have been approved for North Carolinians put out of work by the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials are also working to fix problems that have been reported while filing a claim.
DMV DEADLINES
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles has asked state lawmakers to extend deadlines for driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency says it’s been swamped with complaints that changes haven’t been made to the requirements despite the statewide stay-at-home order.
The DMV has already adjusted operations at its driver’s license offices — closing 61 of them and operating the other 57 by appointment only.
HELP WITH CHILD CARE
Financial aid will be available for essential workers in North Carolina who are in need of child care, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday.
The Emergency Child Care Subsidy Program will also give bonuses to some child care workers and will be offered at least through May.
FEWER BEDS REQUESTED FOR FIELD HOSPITAL
Novant Health and Atrium Health are still asking Mecklenburg County to build a field hospital, but the number of proposed beds has been reduced.
The health care companies say they need a 600-bed field hospital in uptown Charlotte, instead of the 3,000 beds they had requested previously at the UNC Charlotte campus.
Novant and Atrium have worked to increase capacity at their hospitals, health officials said.
CASE REPORTED AT NURSING HOME
A resident at a nursing home in Franklin County tested positive for the coronavirus, and several more are showing symptoms, officials said Tuesday.
Louisburg Nursing Center plans to test all its residents and staff for the virus.
Nine nursing homes and three residential care facilities in North Carolina have ongoing outbreaks of the virus, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.