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See the latest news and updates about COVID-19 and its impact on the Charlotte region, the Carolinas and beyond.

'A Devastating Milestone': NC Reports Record 5,637 New Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations High

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North Carolina reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time Thursday, as the state also logged a new high in hospitalizations for the virus.

The continued high number of cases in North Carolina also comes on the third consecutive day where the test-positivity rate was in double-digits – 10.1%.

In all, 5,637 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina on Thursday. Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen called it "a devastating milestone." New reported cases reflect positive test results labs reported to the Department of Health and Human Services each day. There is some lag time between when someone takes a coronavirus test and when they get the result.

"We have community spread of this virus everywhere—in every community in North Carolina," Cohen said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. "You need to take precautions as if everyone around you has it."

She urged residents to "limit social actions as much as possible" and to get tested for the virus if they attended a Thanksgiving gathering.

The elevated numbers are part of a nationwide trend that on Wednesday resulted in a record 100,000 people reported hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States. Deaths reported due to COVID-19 also reached a new high nationally Wednesday, with 2,804 deaths attributed to the coronavirus. North Carolina reported 82 new COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, the highest single-day number reported since the pandemic began.

As with cases, there is some lag time between when a death occurs and when it is reported to the state. According to the NCDHHS website, the most deaths in a single day attributed to the coronavirus came on Oct. 28, when 46 people with COVID-19 died.

WFAE's Claire Donnelly contributed reporting.

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Jodie Valade has been a Digital News and Engagement Editor for WFAE since 2019. Since moving to Charlotte in 2015, she has worked as a digital content producer for NASCAR.com and a freelance writer for publications ranging from Charlotte magazine to The Athletic to The Washington Post and New York Times. Before that, Jodie was an award-winning sports features and enterprise reporter at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. She also worked at The Dallas Morning News covering the Dallas Mavericks — where she became Mark Cuban's lifelong email pen pal — and at The Kansas City Star. She has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Master of Education from John Carroll University. She is originally from Rochester Hills, Michigan.