Alamance County's COVID cases fall 42.3%; North Carolina cases plummet 27.5%

North Carolina reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 10,589 new cases. That's down 27.5% from the previous week's tally of 14,610 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

North Carolina ranked 11th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 28.3% from the week before, with 239,094 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country's population, North Carolina had 4.43% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, seven states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Across North Carolina, cases fell in 81 counties, with the best declines in Wake County, with 1,289 cases from 1,697 a week earlier; in Mecklenburg County, with 677 cases from 992; and in Guilford County, with 514 cases from 774.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

North Carolina ranked 14th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 82.7% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 76.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Sunday, North Carolina reported administering another 55,089 vaccine doses, including 21,706 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 66,614 vaccine doses, including 27,936 first doses. In all, North Carolina reported it has administered 16,229,800 total doses.

Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Pasquotank County with 331 cases per 100,000 per week; Sampson County with 301; and Yancey County with 282. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Wake County, with 1,289 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 677 cases; and Buncombe County, with 640. Weekly case counts rose in 17 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Wayne, Cumberland and Harnett counties.

In North Carolina, 159 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 263 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,608,603 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 22,922 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 79,523,228 people have tested positive and 967,720 people have died.

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North Carolina's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, March 13.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

• Last week: 1,379
• The week before that: 1,706
• Four weeks ago: 3,647

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

• Last week: 50,226
• The week before that: 56,780
• Four weeks ago: 105,668

Hospitals in one states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in two states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in six states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Times-News: Alamance County's COVID cases fall 42.3%; North Carolina cases plummet 27.5%