Raleigh, NC – North Carolina reported a record 9,527 new cases of coronavirus on New Year’s Day.
This was followed by another staggering total of 9,365 on January 2.
The all-time high on Jan. 1 followed by another huge number Saturday brings the total number of confirmed coronavirus infections in North Carolina to 558,437.
The state has also reported 144 more COVID-19-related deaths in the past two days, bringing the state’s total to 6,892.
Hospital admissions also hit a record high this weekend, as the state reported 3,749 hospitals on Saturday, seven more than Friday’s total.
According to the state, 783 COVID-19 patients are treated in hospital in intensive care units. That means more than a fifth of people hospitalized with COVID-19 are in ICUs. Hospitals across the state are 74 percent full, and IC beds currently have 83 percent capacity.
The positive test rate also rose to 15.5 percent, the third highest over the course of the pandemic and the highest since the first outbreak after two days in mid-April.
The high numbers are because officials are concerned about the impact that holiday meetings could have on the course of the pandemic in the crucial months ahead.