Dr. Cohen: North Carolina COVID-19 Cases Trending In Right Direction

In a news conference on Tuesday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, said the number of positive cases in the state is trending in the right direction.

As of Tuesday, there have been 186,887 positive cases with over 160,000 recoveries. The state also saw a daily high of 51 new deaths, and 916 people are currently hospitalized.

"(It's) a stark reminder that this virus continues to be dangerous and sometimes deadly," said Cohen.

Despite the current data, the number of new cases each day and the positivity rate, percentage of positive tests, have been down in the last week, WRAL reports.

"Last week was a very positive week," said Cohen. "Case counts were on the lower side, our percent of positive tests is hovering around 5. That was a milestone we were aiming for."

The new positivity rate is an improvement from the state's previous rate of 7%, and North Carolina now has the lowest percent of positive cases in the South, Cohen said.

Cohen also announced that a new vendor would join the state to create 230 new testing events over the next two months, according to ABC 11. The increase in testing, along with residents' commitment to wearing masks and practicing social distancing, will continue to make North Carolina a "standout" from the rest of the region.

The news comes after reports that nearly 7,000 residents were falsely told they had tested positive.

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