Cary COVID Report: July 15, 2021

Cary, NC — It’s been a couple of months since we provided an update on COVID-19 in Cary and beyond. So, here’s a look at the local, state and national numbers of the moment as well as some more information on the Delta variant of the virus.

Tallying Ends for COVID-19 Numbers in Cary

The source for Cary-specific numbers in previous reports was through the Town of Cary Emergency Operations Center that was activated toward the start of the pandemic. As of June 2021, these reports ended with the most recent being from May 20, June 1, and June 11, 2021.

In these reports, the total cumulative case count for Cary increased by just over 200 cases with 7,835 reported on May 20 and 8,061 tallied on June 11.

The Delta Variant

The most discussed concern with COVID-19 at the moment is what’s been called the Delta variant, which is mostly affecting the northwest U.S. states along with Texas and Louisiana.

For those unfamiliar, the COVID-19 virus continually adapts and changes to survive. When this happens, a “variant” of the virus emerges and epidemiologists keep a close eye on these as they can prove to be more contagious or deadly than the original strain.

The Delta variant, which was first detected in India, has been linked to a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in several countries, including the U.S. where it has been recently listed as the most dominant strain. The variant got this distinction on July 6, 2021, as it accounted for over 51% of national cases.

According to the CDC, the Delta variant has been proven to spread more easily, but scientists are still tracking the data to determine how deadly it is.

So far, all COVID-19 vaccines appear to be highly effective at protecting against serious disease, hospitalization, and death related to this variant. Health officials, though, are continuing to monitor other detected variants that could evade vaccine protection and lead to major outbreaks this year.

Across the board, officials continue to urge the 140 million to 150 million people who remain unvaccinated in the U.S. to get vaccinated.

Vaccination Rates: Wake County vs. North Carolina

On the NC COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard, there are all sorts of metrics based on location, age group, gender, and more to keep track of the vaccination rollout for each county and state at large. Here are the percentages of the state population that are vaccinated in comparison to Wake County.

Percentage of NC population

Fully vaccinated: 46%
Partially vaccinated: 48%

Percentage of Wake County population

Fully vaccinated: 56%
Partially vaccinated: 59%

NC Currently Ranks 36th in the U.S. For Fully Vaccinated Residents

As for the vaccination rates of North Carolina compared to the other 49 states, NC ranks 36th in the nation for the percentage of the total population fully vaccinated. The latest data of the Mayo clinic puts the percentage of fully vaccinated North Carolinians at 42.7.

This compares with states in the top five that now have 60-66.5% of their populations vaccinated. These are, from 1-5, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

National COVID News

For those looking for quick recaps of the latest national COVID data and spreading zones, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine produces a daily 60-second video with the latest maps and charts called, “Data in Motion.”