CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the second day in a row, North Carolina is reporting the state's highest single-day increase in lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,289 new cases Friday, which is 100 more than Thursday's 1,189 cases. North Carolina now has a total of 33,255 confirmed cases of coronavirus. According to DHHS, the state has completed 482,147 tests with 9% of those tests coming back positive. A total of 717 people are hospitalized statewide with the virus.
The state also reported its first pediatric death linked to the virus. Officials said a child in the central part of the state died as a result of the virus.
On Thursday, Governor Roy Cooper said he and top health officials aren't looking at single-day numbers as much as trends over longer periods of time. Cooper announced a task force that will address disparities in communities of color that have been hit hardest by COVID-19.
Dr. Mandy Cohen said the state needs to watch our coronavirus trends as people gather in large groups to protest. Cohen said if you attended any mass gathering, you should get tested.
"We want folks that may have been at a mass gathering whether that was a protest or somewhere else, like a Speedway to potentially think about getting tested," Cohen said.