North Carolina experienced its highest one-day number of new COVID-19 cases with 3,119 cases reported. Other key metrics also increased with hospitalizations at 1,246 and the percent of tests that were positive climbing to 7.9 percent. Craven County saw 21 new cases during that timespan, which is not unusually high for a one-day period at this stage of the pandemic, although it did reach a new milestone, having surpassed 2,500 total cases since mid-March. “High case counts, including our highest day ever today, and other key metrics are why North Carolina is staying paused in Phase 3 while we lower the indoor gathering limit toRead More →

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Democrats, Republicans, whites, and females have been slightly more likely to vote in this year’s General Election, according to data gleaned from absentee ballots that have arrived so far. Slightly under-represented have been blacks and other races, males, undesignated genders, unaffiliated voters, and third-party voters. These data do not take into account early voting or voter turnout on Nov. 3, Election Day, and under-voting populations may correct themselves between early voting and Election-Day voting. Voter turnout is key in North Carolina, statistically a purple state that will be key for whomever wins the White House and Senate next week. Republican President Trump faces a strongRead More →

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WALLETHUB | Voters in North Carolina are among the most powerful in the nation in the upcoming general election in swinging the presidency and Senate, according to a WalletHub study released today. With the 2020 election a little over a week away and voters’ influence varying from state to state, according to the report, 2020’s States with the Most & Least Powerful Voters. WalletHub compared the relative clout of 2020 voters in swinging the presidency and Senate. In order to make such a comparison, WalletHub calculated a Voter Power Score for each state and for each type of election. Most Powerful Voters – Presidential Election MostRead More →

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QuoteWizard, an insurance website owned by LendingTree, has published rankings of U.S. states based on the best and worst drivers using the following data points: Accidents Speeding tickets DUIs Citations Based on that information only, North Carolina came out fairly well, ranking 38th (1st being the worst). In our neighborhood, North Carolina is a motoring paradise. Virginia ranked second worst, South Carolina ranked 10th worst, Georgia ranked 11th worst, and Tennessee ranked 27th. In short, North Carolina ranked really, really well — slightly better than Mississippi, and almost as good as Arizona. “In the five years we at QuoteWizard have been publishing our best andRead More →

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Applications are being accepted for the N.C. Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program, which will assist eligible low- and- moderate-income renters experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. The new program seeks to promote housing stability during the ongoing pandemic by providing rent and utility assistance to prevent evictions and utility disconnections. “The spread of coronavirus has affected every aspect of our lives. Many have lost jobs, had work hours cut back or had to care for someone who has become ill with COVID-19,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “By creating this program to help with rent and utility bills, we can keep people inRead More →

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Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that North Carolina will remain paused in Phase 3 for three more weeks as health officials continue to monitor North Carolina’s viral trends. North Carolina has seen increased hospitalizations and trajectory of cases in recent weeks. Governor Cooper underscored the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, and using good judgment despite fatigue or frustration with the pandemic. “As this pandemic continues, I know it’s difficult and tiring to keep up our guard, especially when we’re gathered with people we love. But it’s necessary. No one wants to spread COVID-19 accidentally to friends or family, so we must keep prevention atRead More →

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North Carolina ranks 33rd out of 51 states and the District of Columbia for COVID-19 restrictions, according to a report from WalletHub released this week. While all states have at least partially reopened non-essential businesses that were closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. is still far from a full reopening. Source: WalletHub Many states have put a temporary pause on moving to the next stage of reopening, or have even reversed course and closed certain businesses again due to surges in the disease. In order to determine the states with the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and theRead More →

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By North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper This pandemic has affected every corner of our state, including our state budget needs. For many families, it has also shifted their priorities. Last week, I proposed a budget that tackles the challenges we’re facing today while building for the promise of tomorrow. We can emerge from this crisis even stronger than before if we invest wisely. My budget, Support for a Determined North Carolina, uses the state’s remaining $900 million CARES Act funding to continue responding to COVID-19 and providing relief to communities. I’ve proposed for $175 million to go toward critical public health services, including contact tracing andRead More →

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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) on Thursday launched the NC Medicaid Optional COVID-19 Testing program, which will reimburse Medicaid providers for costs associated with COVID-19 testing of people without insurance. “North Carolina is making COVID-19 testing more available and affordable, and this program will help,” said Gov. Roy Cooper, “but the most important way to keep people healthy is to expand Medicaid so 600,000 North Carolinians can get health insurance, which the legislature should do immediately.” “This new program allows community providers to offer cost-free testing to uninsured North Carolinians. It’s a good step to decrease barriers to testing. However,Read More →

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The “Whatever Your Reason” campaign, a new statewide public campaign to encourage every North Carolinian to wear a mask in a collective fight against COVID-19, is being launched Thursday by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). The campaign features North Carolina people and places and focuses on the personal reasons North Carolinians across the state are choosing, every day, to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. “Wearing a mask is a simple, effective way to care for our communities and help our economy. I wear a mask to protect my family and loved ones, and because I know my actionsRead More →

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