Raleigh, North Carolina – North Carolina reported 9,527 new cases of coronavirus on New Year’s Day.
This was followed by another impressive total of 9,365 on 2 January.
The all-time high on Jan. 1, followed by another big Saturday, puts the total number of confirmed North Carolina coronavirus infections at 558,437.
The state has also reported 144 more deaths related to COVID-19 in the past two days, bringing the total to 6,892.
Hospitalizations also hit an all-time high this weekend, as the state reported 3,749 in hospitals on Saturday, a seven-point increase from Friday’s total.
According to the state, 783 hospitalized COVID-19 patients are being treated in intensive care units. This means that more than a fifth of those hospitalized with COVID-19 are in the ICU. Hospitals across the state are 74 percent full and ICU beds have a current capacity of 83 percent.
The positive test rate also rose to 15.5 percent, which is the third-highest mark throughout the pandemic and the highest since the initial outbreak after two days in mid-April.
The high figures come as officials worry about the impact holiday meetings could have on the course of the pandemic over the coming months.