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THURSDAY MORNING STORYLINES
North Carolina health officials have confirmed a case of COVID-19 linked to a campaign rally for Republican candidate for governor Dan Forest.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said it's aware of one case involving a person who attended a rally for the lieutenant governor in Burnsville on Oct. 15. During his campaign, Forest has opposed Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically addressing sending children back to school and sending people back to work.
North Carolinians unable to pay their rent will not be evicted for the rest of the year.
Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order prohibiting landlords from removing tenants on the basis of unpaid rent. The directive got approval from the Council of State. About 300,000 to 400,000 North Carolina households are currently unable to pay rent and 240,000 eviction filings would be expected to be submitted by January 2021.
Free COVID-19 testing will be available at Northwood High School in Pittsboro on Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The testing is organized by the Chatham County Public Health Department along with StarMed Healthcare and the NC Department of Health and Human Services. The nasal swab PCR tests are offered for no cost and optional rapid blood antibody tests are available for $50 each.
WEDNESDAY
6:40 p.m.
A COVID-19 case has been linked to a rally for North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest held in Yancey County two weeks ago, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Forest is challenging current Gov. Roy Cooper for the state's highest office. The rally, intended to energize supporters on the first day of early voting, was held in Burnsville on Oct. 15.
In the event description from the North Carolina GOP, organizers described the gathering as a "HUGE rally" and a family-friendly event. In an email sent Oct. 16, Forest's campaign said approximately 4,000 people attended the event in Burnsville, which has a population of 1,700.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released the following statement:
Local health departments conduct contract tracing, and work to identify all close contacts of any positive COVID-19 case and recommend quarantine and testing. However, not all cases can be reached or provide complete information about their activities. Large gatherings increase the risk of spreading COVID-19. Maintaining social distance, washing hands often and wearing face coverings are the best tools we have to slow the spread (the 3Ws), which is why North Carolina has a mask mandate that everyone, including those at rallies, should follow. People who have attended a mass gathering of any kind, including rallies, are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19.
Dan Forest's campaign said in a statement:
We have had no communication from DHHS on this and only learned of it from what they leaked to the media. Dr. Mandy Cohen has repeatedly stated that all tracing and tracking is confidential and pandemics are not political, but I guess that does not apply to us six days before an election. We wonder if DHHS will also release the COVID cases linked to the protest march of thousands of people where the Governor marched without a mask. Whomever the individual is, we wish them a speedy recovery.
6 p.m.
Two days after elementary students returned to schools, a Wake County elementary school reported its first COVID-19 case on Wednesday afternoon.
In a message to parents, the principal of Forest Pines Drive Elementary School, Michele Bell, notified parents that there was a positive COVID-19 test associated with the school. She said the person was last on campus on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Other than saying, "an individual associated with our school has tested positive for COVID-19," the principal did not clarify if the person was a student or staff member.
School officials said they are working with the Wake County Public Health Division to notify anyone who has come into contact with the person who tested positive.
On Tuesday, three Wake County schools reported COVID-19 cases within their athletic team departments tested positive.
Anyone worried that they were exposed to the virus or is experiencing symptoms can test for free at these locations or call the Wake County COVID-19 hotline at (919) 856-7044.
3 p.m.
In a news conference, Gov. Roy Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen continued to stress that social gatherings and religious settings are the main drivers of the current spike in COVID-19 cases in North Carolina.
"We too often let our guard down when we're with people we know and trust, but knowing and trusting doesn't stop the virus," Cooper said. "Today, we need people to hear us loud and clear--if you're gathered with anyone who does not live in your household, you are at risk and they are too."
Cohen and Cooper both repeated the importance of practicing the 3 w's while interacting with anyone who does not live in your immediate household--wearing a mask, staying at least 6 ft apart, and washing hands frequently.
"It's not about how well you know someone," Cohen said. Many cases, she added, are coming from gatherings among friends and extended family members.
Cohen also provided a few suggestions for Halloween this weekend, saying she is planning a scavenger hunt for her kids at a local park and plans to spread candy across a table outside her front door.
WATCH: How risky is trick-or-treating? Costume parties? We asked an expert.
"We can learn to live with this virus, but living with it doesn't mean ignoring it," Cohen said. "Living with it means practicing those 3 W's."
ABC11's Jonah Kaplan repeatedly asked whether there is a certain point at which metrics rise too high and the state will need to increase restrictions. Both Cohen and Cooper said they look at multiple metrics when making decisions about the state, but added that they're focusing on increasing messaging to encourage North Carolinians to slow the spread of the virus so the state doesn't have to move backwards.
Cooper also announced a new executive order expanding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal eviction moratorium.
"Three-hundred to 400,000 households are currently unable to pay rent," Cooper said. "Without today's action, almost a quarter of a million eviction filings could be submitted by 2021."
Under the executive order, all North Carolinians--not just those in federally subsidized housing--will be protected from eviction proceedings until the order expires. In addition, North Carolinians can also seek help from the NC HOPE program, which can provide owed rent and utilities for up to six months. Cooper said more than 23,000 North Carolinians have applied for the program in two weeks.
You can apply for NC HOPE by calling 211 or visiting nc211.org/hope.
1:50 p.m.
The Halifax County Health Department reported 22 new cases for a total of 1,412 positive COVID 19 cases. There have been 27 deaths, or 1.9% of cases.
11:40 a.m.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Srvices reported 2,253 new COVID-19 cases, the second day in a row the state recorded a daily case increase of more than 2,000.
The increase in cases was accompanied by a decrease in the number of additional tests completed. Yesterday, North Carolina reported 20,990 more completed tests, a decline from the past six days of testing.
As of Monday, 6.9% of tests are positive. The metric has been hovering between 6 and 7% for several days, though it briefly dropped to 5.9% last Wednesday.
Currently, 1,193 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 with 97% of hospitals reporting. In the last 24 hours, 294 suspected COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals statewide.
10:30 a.m.
The most recent White House Coronavirus Task Force report, obtained by ABC News, shows North Carolina is in the red zone for cases, indicating 101 or more new cases per 100,000 population last week, with the 25th highest rate in the country.
North Carolina is in the yellow zone for test positivity, indicating a rate between 5.0% and 7.9%, with the 28th highest rate in the country.
The following three counties had the highest number of new cases over the last 3 weeks: Mecklenburg County, Wake County and Guilford County. These counties represent 18.2% of new cases in North Carolina.
73% of all counties in North Carolina have moderate or high levels of community transmission, according to the report.
WEDNESDAY MORNING STORYLINES
Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to update the state's coronavirus response on Wednesday afternoon as North Carolina's key COVID-19 metrics continue to worsen.
Tuesday's reported cases were up from Monday, as the positive test rate went up to 7.3% and hospitalizations increased to 1,214, which is over 100 cases higher than two weeks ago. Forty-one deaths were reported Tuesday. New statistics will be released around noon on Wednesday.
The update from Gov. Cooper and the state's coronavirus task force will happen at 3 p.m. ABC11 will carry the governor's remarks live on-air, on abc11.com and the ABC11 Facebook page.
Health officials are now saying at least five people have died from a COVID-19 outbreak at the United House of Prayer for All People on Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte. According to the health department, four of the people who died were Mecklenburg residents and one lived in Gaston County
In Wake County, several schools reported COVID-19 cases within their athletic teams on Tuesday night.
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NC coronavirus update October 29: COVID-19 case linked to GOP rally featuring Lt. Gov. Dan Forest in western NC - WTVD-TV
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