CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina health officials reported a larger spike in new coronavirus cases Thursday, with DHHS counting 2,344 new cases, the state's third-highest increase in a single day since the pandemic began.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, held off on ruling the state was ready to enter a new phase of reopening next Friday, when Phase 2 is set to expire. Cohen said the state's priority is reopening schools, which is expected to lead to more movement of people and the virus.
"You're going to have universities open, with students coming to campus, some coming from out of state, and so that is definitely something we are keeping our eye on," said Cohen.
Earlier this week, Cohen said the state's COVID-19 trends have begun to stabilize, with the percentage of positive tests dropping to just below 8%. While the leveling off in new daily cases continues, Cohen said the larger increase in cases Thursday was a concern.
"We had been seeing about a ten-, twelve-day stabilization in cases, but today, we saw another high day in cases. So, again, we're going to need to continue to watch this," said Cohen. "We want to make sure that our trends continue to not just stabilize, we need to go down."
Health officials also focused on the state of mental health in the Tar Heel State, noting that reports of anxiety and depression symptoms have tripled during the pandemic and visits to the emergency department for opioid overdose have increased by 15 percent.
"Not only has the virus led to personal experiences of uncertainty, illness, and the loss of loved ones, but it has also profoundly impacted the social determinants of health, including housing, employment, access to health insurance, and nutrition," said Victor Armstrong, North Carolina's Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services.
Armstrong reminded that North Carolinians can call the crisis hotline Hope 4 NC 24 hour a day, seven days a week and get connected with mental health resources. That hotline number is 1-855-587-3463.
He also gave every day tips that people could use to manage stress and improve mental health. The "SCOOP" method is detailed below.