For the first time in nearly two months, 1,000-plus new COVID cases were reported to the state on Thursday.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says 1,020 cases came in, the most since there were also 1,020 on May 22.
The state’s seven-day moving average of 709 cases has more than doubled in just 10 days. This is the highest it’s been since May 29, when it was at 732.
North Carolina also has more patients in hospitals today, though that increase isn’t as dramatic as it has been earlier this week. There are currently 492 hospitalized patients, just five more than yesterday but still the fifth straight day with an increase.
The percent positive did drop a bit, with 4.3 percent of tests performed Tuesday coming back positive — a drop of nearly a full percentage point from the 5.2 percent from Monday’s testing numbers.