RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – North Carolina saw 691 new laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 24 hour period, the largest single-day increase since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services statistics.
There are now 16,507 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase from 15,816 cases reported on Wednesday.
The previous largest single-day increase in confirmed cases was May 7 with 639.
A total of 219,268 tests have been completed.
North Carolina has surpassed 600 deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total to 615, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
A total of 507 are hospitalized across the state due to the virus, a decrease of 14 from 521 people that were hospitalized on Wednesday, health officials said .
Avery County remains the only county in North Carolina without a confirmed case of COVID-19.
North Carolina started Phase One of Gov. Roy Cooper’s reopening plan on May 8. The governor said earlier in the week that Phase Two wouldn’t begin until May 22 at the earliest.
