Cary COVID Report — February 10, 2021

Cary, NC — Newly reported cases have started trending downward in Wake County for the first time in months.

Though, simultaneously, Cary has seen its death toll jump from 16 to 29 in the last several weeks. Here’s a closer look.

Cary Reaches 6,000 Cumulative Cases, 29 Deaths

The Town of Cary’s cumulative COVID case count surpassed 4,000 in the first week of 2021. Now, less than a month and a half later, that number has surpassed the milestone of 6,000.

There were 16 total deaths reported since the start of the pandemic as of January 14, 2021. In the latest report from the Cary Emergency Operations center dated February 4, 2021, that number has jumped to 29.

Here’s the week-by-week numbers from Jan. 14 – Feb. 4, 2020, provided by the Town of Cary’s Emergency Operation Center.

January 14, 2021:

New weekly cases: 521 reported since Jan. 7, a 12.4% increase
Cumulative case count: 4,208
Deaths: 16

January 21, 2021:

New weekly cases: 555 reported since Jan. 14, an 11.7% increase
Cumulative case count: 5,284
Deaths: 17

January 28, 2021:

New weekly cases: 336 reported since Jan. 21, a 6.4% increase
Cumulative case count: 5,620
Deaths: 19

February 4, 2021:

New weekly cases: 545 reported since Jan. 28, a 9.7% increase
Cumulative case count: 6,165
Deaths: 29

Source: Cary’s Emergency Operation Center, Weekly Metric Summaries

Wake County Infection Rates Decline

Stats from Wake County, graph by CaryCitizen.

Following the single largest surge in cases in Wake County since the pandemic’s start, cases are headed downward at last.

Just like the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, Wake County is monitoring four sets of criteria in 14-day periods. All four areas are trending downward in the last 2 weeks, including:

Cases with COVID-like symptoms
Positive COVID-19 cases confirmed each day by a lab
The percentage of tests that were positive out of all tests administered
The hospitalizations of COVID-19-positive patients

Source: Wake County COVID Dashboard

North Carolina’s Vaccine Rollout

Today the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced plans for how the state will move to Group 3 for COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s the current timeline of priorities from the state:

Feb 24: Anyone working in childcare or PreK-12
March 10: Additional frontline essential workers
Groups 1 & 2 will still be prioritized as we move forward

NC Health Director Mandy Cohen announced today that the state has surpassed 10,000 deaths. A February 5 report from NCDHHS showed that several of the state’s key metrics are leveling off with a decrease in counties qualifying in the “red zone” for critical spread.

Sources: NC COVID-19 Information Hub & NC Department of Health & Human Services