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Coronavirus in NC: Live updates for May 29, 2020: CDC releases new reopening guidelines for businesses

Here are the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in North Carolina and across the globe.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus from North Carolina and across the globe showing the pandemic’s impact on health, jobs, schools and more:
At least 26,764 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, at least 908 people have died and another 680 or so remain in the hospital. State officials estimate 14,954 people have recovered from coronavirus infections.

Latest updates

9 p.m.: After initially planning for drive-in graduations for high school seniors, Wayne County Public Schools now is looking at more traditional on-field graduations.

The district polled its 1,261 graduating seniors and their families to determine their graduation preferences. Over 80% of respondents favored on-field graduations, with the understanding that these types of events are not being recommended at this time. After much discussion, the Wayne County Board of Education canceled the district’s alternative graduation plan and directed schools to begin making plans to hold on-field graduation ceremonies.

The board considered the state's pandemic restrictions, which exempt educational institutions from the mass gathering limit of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, as well as guidance from the state Department of Health and Human Services discouraging traditional graduation ceremonies because of the risk of spreading coronavirus.

No event dates have been set, but officials said they hope all of the graduations can be held by the end of June.

7:40 p.m.: Duke University plans to bring students back to campus over several days in early August so the fall semester can begin Aug. 17, officials said. Fall break will be canceled, and final exams will finish before Thanksgiving.

The spring semester will begin a week later than normal, on Jan. 19, 2021, and final exams will be held the week of April 26. Commencement for the Class of 2021 will take place on May 9. There will be no spring break in 2021.

"Our goal is to enable as many of our students who are able and who choose to participate in an on-campus experience for the fall semester to do so, but only if it can be done safely," president Vincent Price said in a statement. "To do all this safely and successfully, we all must make significant changes to the way we live, study and work, and we are reconfiguring residential, classroom and office facilities to make it possible."

Some of the changes include the following:

  • All faculty, students, staff and visitors will be required to wear masks in public on campus and practice physical distancing.
  • All students living on campus will be tested for coronavirus before they are permitted to begin classes.
  • All students will complete daily health checks through a monitoring app and report concerning symptoms to the Student Health and Wellness.
  • All students living in on-campus or off-campus housing will be expected to remain in the Durham area during the semester.
  • On-campus dining centers will provide expanded take-out options and limited in-person service using reservation systems.
7:25 p.m.: The 26,000-plus people in North Carolina who have been infected with coronavirus since early March is equivalent to 307 people getting the virus every day in the state. The 908 people who have died from the virus statewide is equivalent to 14 deaths per day since the first death on March 25.
7:15 p.m.: Another resident of Universal Healthcare Lillington has died from coronavirus, bringing the total at the nursing home to 17. Harnett County has 27 virus-related deaths overall.
5:15 p.m.: ReOpenNC will no longer hold rallies to pressure Gov. Roy Cooper to lift restrictions that have closed businesses across North Carolina for months in an effort to halt the spread of coronavirus. Co-founder Ashley Smith said the organization plans to shift into Stage 2 on Monday, which she said would be a "micro approach" to help small businesses being threatened by local authorities under the shutdown orders.

"Our Memorial Day protest rally in Raleigh was our last for now," Smith said in an email. "Our plan was always to reopen the state completely, but we recognized this has to be accomplished in stages."

5:10 p.m.: A team of scientists studying the origin of the virus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic found that it was especially well-suited to jump from animals to humans by shape-shifting as it gained the ability to infect human cells.

Researchers from Duke University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of Texas at El Paso and New York University confirmed that the closest relative of the virus was a coronavirus that infects bats. But that virus’ ability to infect humans was gained through exchanging a critical gene fragment from a coronavirus that infects a scaly mammal called a pangolin, which made it possible for the virus to infect humans.

The researchers report that the jump from species to species was the result of the virus’ ability to bind to host cells through alterations in its genetic material. It's as if the virus retooled the key that enables it to unlock a host cell’s door, they said.

"Very much like the original SARS that jumped from bats to civets or MERS that went from bats to dromedary camels and then to humans, the progenitor of this pandemic coronavirus underwent evolutionary changes in its genetic material that enabled it to eventually infect humans,” said Dr. Feng Gao, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Duke's School of Medicine.

Gao and colleagues said tracing the virus’ evolutionary pathway will help deter future pandemics arising from the virus and possibly guide vaccine research.

4:50 p.m.: District and Superior Courts in Chatham and Orange counties will open on Monday after being partially closed since mid-March because of the pandemic. Courthouse visitors will be required to wear facial coverings while in the buildings, and masks will be provided at no cost if someone doesn't have one. The only items visitors may bring inside are a cellphone, their car keys and a method of payment for fines and court fees.

Each courthouse will have a maximum occupancy number posted on the door. If that number is exceeded, people will be asked to leave the building on a “Last In, First Out” basis. Those asked to leave or whose entrance has been delayed for capacity reasons will be notified by text message when the number of people present in the courtroom is below the maximum.

4:45 p.m.: Durham Public Schools is buying more than 20,000 Chromebooks so that every student can have a digital learning device for the upcoming school year. Federal CARES Act funding will partially offset the $7.8 million cost.

"The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that we have to aggressively attack the digital divide in our community," Superintendent Pascal Mubenga said in a statement. "Whether we will be back in our classrooms or continuing remote learning, our students will have access to rigorous new learning with their teachers’ support."

Also, a DPS task force planning for safely resuming classes in the 2020-21 school year has taken the following steps:

  • Adopted a calendar for year-round schools and is considering modifications to the traditional calendar
  • Is developing end-of-year health and safety guidance for principals to allow staff, students and families recover items left when schools closed in March
  • Is developing procedures for safe records exchanges between schools by June 15 and plans to create an online enrollment system for families
  • Is developing a consistent screening process to help limit the virus' spread when staff returns
4:35 p.m.: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidelines for businesses and employees looking to return to work, including keeping workers 6 feet apart and having them wear masks at all times. Staggering breaking times, banning handshakes and fist bumps and daily temperature and symptom checks are also on the list of guidelines.
4:30 p.m.: The pandemic has a lot of people saving more money. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said Americans are hoarding cash, with the personal savings rate nationwide at 33 percent in April – the highest recorded since the agency started tracking back in the 1960s. The rate is nearly twice the old record of 17.3 percent back in 1975.

Some analysts say there is an aspect of "forced savings"because so much of the economy has been closed due to the pandemic.

4 p.m.: Coronavirus has killed more than 900 people in North Carolina. Statewide, more than 26,600 people have been infected with the virus.

Two Sampson County residents are among the latest deaths.

3:45 p.m.: The North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association had planned to file a lawsuit Friday over Gov. Roy Cooper's restrictions keeping bars statewide closed to limit the spread of coronavirus. Instead, the group said it is meeting with Cooper and representatives of the Attorney General's Office to discuss the situation.

"The governor mentioned during his press conference on Thursday that his decision to keep bars closed was based on data, science and daily briefings from doctors and health care experts. We have asked to see the information he relied on to inform us as we proceed," the group said in a news release.

2:45 p.m.: President Donald Trump said he has terminated the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization for the way the agency handled the coronavirus outbreak in China before it became a global pandemic.
2:40 p.m.: Cape Fear Valley Health will begin allowing one care companion per day for most inpatients at its facilities on Monday.

Adult inpatients at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Hoke Hospital, Bladen County Hospital and Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center may have one companion from noon to 8 p.m. Patients age 17 and younger may have two companions who are the patient’s parents or legal guardians. Long-term acute care patients at Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital still cannot have any companion to protect the vulnerable population in the facility from coronavirus.

2:35 p.m.: Cary has canceled all local Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources events through July 5, including the town's Independence Day weekend celebration events and fireworks displays at Bond Park, Koka Booth Amphitheatre and WakeMed Soccer Park. All town-sponsored camps will also are canceled through August.

"This is about safety, about being able to meet every parent’s expectations that their child will be healthy at the end of the day," Cary Town Manager Sean Stegall said in a statement. "While we offer wonderful camps, we simply don’t have the expertise to be able to confidently guarantee that on a large scale during a pandemic."

2:30 p.m.: A 12th inmate in the federal prison complex in Butner has died of coronavirus-related complications. Bernardo Luis Olarta-Loaiza, 63, had prior health conditions that put him at higher risk from the virus, officials said.

Olarta-Loaiza, who was serving a 12-year sentence on drug charges, tested positive for the virus on May 10 and died Thursday.

Butner has one of the largest virus outbreaks in the federal prison system, with 160 inmates and 14 staffers infected. Hundreds of others at the complex have already recovered from previous infections, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

2:25 p.m.: Chapel Hill has canceled all "large-scale summer events and programs" in town, including the July 4th Fireworks and Community Celebration, because of coronavirus concerns.

Other canceled events include summer day camps at the Community Center, Hargraves and Teen Center; Library Summer Blast performances and programs; Movies Under the Stars; National Trails Day activities; Studio 109 artists-in-residence and open studio; and all Parks and Recreation programs beginning before July 6.

Decisions about programs beginning on or after July 6 will be announced later.

2:15 p.m.: A Raleigh trampoline center has become the latest to sue Gov. Roy Cooper over restrictions that keep certain businesses closed to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Launching Pad Raleigh Trampoline Park Inc. alleges in a federal lawsuit that the forced closure amounts to an unconstitutional government seizure, and owner Kristie Sisson asks the a judge overturn Cooper's restrictions and award her $500,000 in damages, as well as punitive damages.

"Cooper’s COVID-19 Executive Orders are arbitrary and unreasonable and let him choose winners and losers in private business with no rational basis, thereby violating well-established notions of substantive and procedural due process," the lawsuit states.

Gyms and strip clubs also have sued over the restrictions, and bar owners are expected to do so as well.

2 p.m.: The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County has canceled the International Folk Festival, originally slated for Sept. 25-27, because of coronavirus concerns.
1:35 p.m.: The state Department of Public Safety has started mass coronavirus testing of all 420 inmates at Caswell Correctional Center, where 19 inmates and 19 staffers have already been infected. Officials encouraged staff at the prison to be tested.

"The data-driven decision to test the entire offender population at the prison was based on a gradual increase in the number of offenders who tested positive for COVID-19 through symptom-based testing, as well as a gradual increase in the number of staff who either self-reported testing positive for the virus or who tested positive in a Caswell County Health Department-offered voluntary testing initiative that began on May 8," DPS said in a news release.

Any inmates who test positive will be placed in isolation, while those who test negative will remain in quarantine and have their health monitored. All inmates are required to wear masks, and the prison is using high-powered misting machines to spray disinfectant in dormitories.

More than 650 inmates have been infected in 13 state prisons. Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro accounts for about three-quarters of those cases. DPS conducted mass testing of inmates there in April.

12:45 p.m.: A new study suggests wearing face masks at home could reduce spreading coronavirus among family members. Chinese researchers surveyed 460 people from 124 families in which at least one person had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Nearly a quarter of adults and children became infected as a result of a family member.

Researchers say wearing a face mask was 79 percent effective in stopping the spread but only if it was worn before people started showing symptoms.

11:35 a.m.: The state Department of Public Safety is extending a coronavirus testing program for state prison workers until July 31. Tests are being done by appointment at FastMed urgent care clinics across North Carolina, and the State Health Plan is picking up the cost.
11:25 a.m.: The back and forth between Gov. Roy Cooper's administration and Republican officials continues over how to safely hold the GOP national convention in Charlotte in August.

President Donald Trump threatened to move the convention unless North Carolina could guarantee a full house at the Spectrum Center, even with the state's limits on mass gatherings during the pandemic. So, Cooper and his health officials requested a detailed health safety plan from convention organizers. They responded with a list of eight safety protocols.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, wrote back Friday reiterating the need for more detailed plan, including social distancing inside the arena and guidelines for masks, hygiene and social distancing at GOP-sponsored meetings, receptions and other events elsewhere in Charlotte.

"How will the RNC isolate individuals who do not pass the thermal and health screenings?" she asked. "How will contact tracing be conducted for others with whom they may have come in contact? Given the evidence of asymptomatic spread of COVID-19, what additional precautions will the RNC take to prevent spread of the virus?"

11:20 a.m.: North Carolina had the second-highest number of new coronavirus infections on Thursday, according to state officials. The 1,076 new cases trails only the 1,107 reported last Saturday.
11:15 a.m.: Two workers at Northchase Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in the Wilmington area have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said. The facility has tested all of its residents and staff for the virus, and all other tests have been negative so far.
11:05 a.m.: The Knightdale Recreation Center will reopen on June 8 for camp, and the Knightdale Community Pool and Clubhouse will open June 13, officials said. All other facilities will remain closed, including Knightdale Town Hall.
11 a.m.: Christian Lawson, clinical director of emergency services at UNC Health, said the hospital is ready to take on more coronavius patients as North Carolina's number of cases continues to grow. Lawson said personal protective equipment is more readily available now that China has resumed production.

"In early March, it was virtually impossible to locate, source and secure PPE, despite working with contacts and using any and all options," Lawson said. "Ultimately, the market was empty ... but now we have a steady flow into our inventory."

UNC Health had put elective procedures on hold but is starting to schedule those again while balancing an intake of coronavirus patients.

"We are very agile in our approach, we can make adjustments hour-by-hour as they're needed," he said.

10:55 a.m.: More than two months into the pandemic, at the state Division of Employment Security still hasn't paid a third of North Carolina residents who have applied for unemployment benefits.

Almost 970,000 people have filed unemployment claims since mid-march, and only 640,000 have been paid. They have received nearly $2.85 billion in aid, the bulk of which comes from federal benefits being used to supplement state unemployment.

10:50 a.m.: The Sheetz on Aviation Parkway in Morrisville has reopened after a worker there tested positive for coronavirus. Sheetz said the employee last worked in the store on May 25, and it was closed for cleaning on Thursday after the result came back positive.
10:45 a.m.: People have another chance to get their fair food fix this weekend. The North Carolina State Fair is serving up favorites like funnel cakes, cotton candy, fresh squeezed lemonade, deep fried Oreos and more.
10:40 a.m.: Raleigh will reopen city picnic shelters, park restrooms, dog parks, skate park, lakes and private boat launches on Monday. Millbrook Tennis Center also will reopen, along with all tennis and pickleball courts, but singles play is strongly encouraged.

Parks officials note that, which the city will implement a more frequent cleaning schedule, amenities aren't sanitized daily, and park visitors must use them at their own risk. All users also must follow group size and social distancing guidelines.

Park open space, greenways and nature preserves are already open.

10 a.m.: Nationwide, more than 2 million Americans filed for benefits in the last seven days. More than 40 million in total have done so since the crisis began.

For those unemployed and looking for a job, the top five in-demand, temporary jobs include warehouse workers, sanitation workers, food processing, construction and manufacturing, according to staffing firm "People Ready."

9:45 a.m.: JC Penney is planning to kick off a round of store closure sales as early as next month. The bankrupt department store chain planned to file a store closing procedure motion Thursday, and a hearing would take place a week later, when some sales begin.

On July 1, a smaller, second phase of store closing sales will begin. The company said earlier this month it plans to shut almost 30% of its 846 stores permanently.

9:30 a.m.: The Durham County Courthouse will begin restarting court on Monday. The Durham County Sheriff's Office will be there to enforce the following:
  • Only people with official business will be allowed inside, and they are asked not to bring family and friends.
  • People will undergo coronavirus screening upon arrival.
  • Cloth face coverings are required inside at all times. A limited number of masks available at the entrance.
  • People should wash or sanitize their hands regularly while inside.
  • People should stay 6 feet apart from others at all times. Floors have been marked.
9:25 a.m.: The United Way of the Greater Triangle has distributed $751,015 to 85 nonprofits in the last two months through its Rapid Response Fund, which helps groups providing food, rental assistance and other aid to people during the pandemic.
9:20 a.m.: The state Department of Health and Human Services is urging Congress to extend the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program to provide food for children beyond the traditional school calendar year. Extending benefits through the summer months would help provide the families of nearly half of North Carolina school children about $250 in additional support per child to buy groceries, officials said.
9:15 a.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper has announced that North Carolina has received a $6 million federal grant to support jobs and workforce training to help address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the grant, eligible North Carolina residents may receive certain employment services or workforce training for industries that are hiring workers. Opportunities funded by the grant will vary depending on local needs, but may include: on-the-job training, temporary employment, occupational skills training and supportive services.

9 a.m.: Local college students created shelfCheck, an app released this week that uses crowdsourcing to provide real-time data on in-demand items to consumers in the Triangle area. Users can create a grocery list with multiple items and find the stores nearest to them that suit their needs. All three students are 19 and attend Duke University, Rice University and UNC-Chapel Hill.
8:50 a.m.: East Carolina University will resume classes on campus on Aug. 10, the same day as UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. Like the other schools, ECU will condense its schedule to finish the fall semester before Thanksgiving, in case a second wave of coronavirus infections comes in the fall.
Unlike the other schools, however, ECU will offer classes in two eight-week blocks each semester. ECU also is the first UNC system school to announce it will eliminate spring break next year.
8:45 a.m.: Personal income levels have increased 10.5% due to unemployment benefits. Even with employers cutting millions of jobs during the month, personal incomes soared 10.5% in April, reflecting billions of dollars in support through government payments in the form of unemployment benefits and stimulus checks.
U.S. consumer spending plunged by 13.6% in April as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered businesses, forced millions of layoffs and sent the economy into a deep recession. Last month's spending decline was far worse than the revised 6.9% drop in March, which itself had set a record for the steepest one-month fall since 1959.
8:30 a.m.: Pawfect Match Rescue is reminding people that pet adoptions are needed during the pandemic, especially because some dogs and cats lost their owners due to COVID-19. The Raleigh-based rescue posted a photo of Max and Sophie, two dogs that must be adopted together after their owner died from coronavirus.
8:15 a.m.: Carlie C's is selling 40-pound boxes of chicken drumsticks or thighs from House of Raeford for roughly $20 at its Durham location on Wake Forest Highway. The sale starts at 9 a.m. and lasts until the chicken is gone. Cash, credit and debit are accepted.
8 a.m.: A local woman who recovered from COVID-19 finally got to meet her newborn son. Takia Morrison was sick with coronavirus when she was pregnant. It was so bad, she had to have an emergency C-section and spent nearly two months in the hospital. This week, she was finally able to head home and meet her newborn son, Kylan, who was born on May 21.
7:30 a.m.: Researchers found patients with advanced cancer were more than five times more likely to die from coronavirus. The study looked at data from more than 900 cases between March and April.

Researchers found that, even if their cancer wasn't spreading, the coronavirus infection nearly doubled their risk of dying. Overall, 13% of patients died during the study period and within 30 days of being diagnosed with COVID-19.

7 a.m.: Across the state, there have been more than 700 people hospitalized due to COVID-19. That's the highest number of hospitalizations since this pandemic began. State leaders are worried about the numbers, but hospitals across the Triangle said they are prepared.

UNC, WakeMed and Duke Hospitals all say they have beds, protective gear, ventilators and the capacity to handle a surge of cases. UNC is the only hospital in the Triangle with its emergency department tents still up. Duke and WakeMed have theirs on standby.

6:30 a.m.: A video of 103-year-old Jennie Stejna, who survived coronavirus, celebrating with a cold beer has gone viral. Staff at the nursing home where she lives in Massachusetts offered her a beverage of choice – a Bud Light.

Family members say she took one sip, commented on how cold it tasted, and after a smile to nurses, she enjoyed a second sip. The family still cannot visit Stejna due to health concerns, but they're confident she will be just fine.

6 a.m.: Researchers in the Triangle are working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, but a UNC researcher said another product could help patients even sooner. Dr. Mike Cohen said he is most excited about "monoclonal antibody" research, which uses cells from recovered COVID-19 patients to help treat current patients and even prevent infection.

UNC said human trials could begin as early as next month.

5 a.m.: State Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen issued a statement about a bill approved Thursday to reopen bars in North Carolina:

"The measures we have taken have been informed by public health experts, science and North Carolina’s data to protect people from this highly contagious and, for some, very dangerous virus," she said. "Thursday's legislative action was not informed by any of those things."

4:30 a.m.: Thirty-three drive-thru testing sites will open at CVS stores across the state Friday. People must register online to see if they qualify for an appointment.
4 a.m.: The YMCA of the Triangle will open 10 outdoor pools in the next few days. Members will be allowed in the pool area at 50% capacity and will be asked to wipe down their own chairs, which will be spaced 6 feet apart. Staff members and lifeguards will wear masks, and people are encouraged to do the same when they are not in the water.

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