North Carolina recorded 11,518 cases on Saturday, breaking the previous daily record of 10,398 cases.
To date, 614,355 coronavirus cases have been reported in the states.
On average, the state is registering 7,988 new cases – the largest ever recorded.
The number of deaths reported on Saturday was 97, which is not a record, but the average new deaths is at its highest level ever, 76.
Hospitalizations across the state have declined since Friday, with more than 3,800 people hospitalized. 7,425 Northern Carolinians have died of COVID since March.
Doctors said they find these figures alarming and we should not deny the impact of the virus on the state.
State leaders gave the go-ahead to move on to the next phase of the COVID vaccination. This includes Triangle counties, such as Wake, that are ready to vaccinate people in the group aged 75 and over.
“We want thousands, thousands and thousands of people at risk, who are older, to be vaccinated as soon as possible,” said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist at the UNC Medical Center.
Wohl said that the elderly are attending ICUS in hospitals and people most at risk of contracting COVID remain a priority for healthcare professionals.
The doctors said that if you are waiting to be vaccinated, stay patient.
“A phased approach makes sense.” Wohl explained. “We can’t just vaccinate everyone in the country at once, so I think it makes sense to ask health professionals first, to learn how to do this and to age people,”
He added that he expects the coronavirus peak to occur so that eventually we will have a downward trend in deaths, ICU admissions and hospitalizations.
