Alamance County's COVID cases fall 49.1%; North Carolina cases plummet 38.1%

Across North Carolina, cases fell in 90 counties, with the best declines in Mecklenburg County, with 992 cases from 1,943 a week earlier; in Wake County, with 1,697 cases from 2,342; and in New Hanover County, with 477 cases from 1,084.

North Carolina reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 14,610 new cases. That's down 38.1% from the previous week's tally of 23,611 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 30.4% from the week before, with 323,600 cases reported. With 3.15% of the country's population, North Carolina had 4.51% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, five states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

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North Carolina ranked 14th among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 82.5% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 76.5%, 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 66,614 vaccine doses, including 27,936 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 67,858 vaccine doses, including 28,655 first doses. In all, North Carolina reported it has administered 16,174,711 total doses.

Within North Carolina, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Yancey County with 476 cases per 100,000 per week; Carteret County with 389; and Onslow County with 370. 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 1,697 cases; Mecklenburg County, with 992 cases; and Buncombe County, with 815. Weekly case counts rose in seven counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Onslow, Washington and Yancey counties.

In North Carolina, 263 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 352 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,598,014 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 22,763 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 79,271,466 people have tested positive and 958,621 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 6.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

• Last week: 1,702
• The week before that: 2,247
• Four weeks ago: 4,761

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

• Last week: 58,950
• The week before that: 66,535
• Four weeks ago: 131,215

Hospitals in one state reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in three states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in seven 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 49.1%; North Carolina cases plummet 38.1%