After rules ease, North Carolina’s 7-day average of new coronavirus cases hits new high -Salem

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STARTS RIGHT NOW. BREA: EXPANDING TESTING — HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LINED UP TO BE SCREENED FOR COVID-19 AS THE PIEDMONT TRIAD COUNTY HOSTS ITS FIRST MASS TESTING EVENT. ALSO, A MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS IN CHILDREN BELIEVED TO BE RELATED TO THE VIRUS. THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS INTENSIFIES. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US — BREAKING NEWS AT NOON, WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN 15,000 CASES OF COVID-19 IN NORTH CAROLINA, AN INCREASE OF 280 ONE FROM YESTERDAY. OFFICIALS SAY THE RATE OF POSITIVE CASES FOR THE VIRUS REMAINS UNDER 10% AND DOCTORS ARE TREATING MORE THAN 460 FOUR PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL. SADLY, THREE MORE HAVE DIED, BRINGING THE STATE TOTAL TO 550. CLOSE TO 200,000 PEOPLE HAVE UNDERGOE TESTS FOR COVID-19 IN OUR STATE. THERE ARE NOW ONE POINT 3 MILLION CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN THE U.S. THERE ARE NEARLY 80,000 DEATHS AND 216,000 RECOVERIES. SEVERAL WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS ARE IN ISOLATION, INCLUDING VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE AFTER TWO STAFFERS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 STOP VICE PRESIDENT CONTINUES TO TEST NEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS AND HAS NO RESTRICTIONS IN HIS ACTIVITIES. IN FACT, HE LED A VIDEO TELECONFERENCE WITH GOVERNORS THIS MORNING AT THE WHITE HOUSE WILL STOP FRANCE IS EASING SOME OF ITS STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS. THOSE WERE IN PLACE FOR TWO MONTHS. SHOPS, HAIR SALONS, AND OTHER BUSINESSES OPENED TODAY. RESIDENTS NO LONGER NEED TO FILL OUT PERMISSION SLIPS TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. AT HOME, NORTH CAROLINA IS BEGINNING ITS FIRST FULL WEEK OF PHASE ONE REOPENING. MORE BUSINESSES ARE OPENING, BUT WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND INCREASED CLEANING MEASURES. GOVERNOR COOPER SAYS HE STILL PREFERS PEOPLE TO STAY HOME AND IS URGING EVERYONE TO WHERE FACE MASKS WHEN OUT IN PUBLIC. HAPPENING NOW — THERE’S A BIG PUSH TO POSTTESTING IN THE PIEDMONT HIGH — PIEDMONT TRIAD. AS MEREDITH STUTZ SHOWS US, EVEN THE FIRST FEW HOURS, THERE IS A HUGE TURNOUT.>> WE ARE HERE IN THE PARKING LOT OF NORTHERN REGIONAL HOSPITAL WHERE PEOPLE LINED UP HOURS EARLY, LONG BEFORE SUNRISE, TO TRY TO GET THEIR HANDS ON A FREE COVID-19 TEST. ON MONDAY, HOSPITAL STAFF LAYERED IN PPE GREETED CARS READY TO ADMINISTER DRIVE-THROUGH TESTS.>> I HAD A COUGH BACK IN DECEMBER THAT I COULD NOT GET RID OF AND SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS LEAD ME TO BELIEVE I MAY HAVE HAD IT. I’VE BEEN HAVING SOME ISSUES SINCE THEN.>> NASAL AND TONSIL TEST KITS WERE AVAILABLE FOR THIS FIRST ROUND. TESTS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN DODSON AND ELKIN. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS IT USING STATE FUNDING TO FURTHER — TO PURCHASE 400 KITS FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED. HOSPITALS ADDED THEIR OWN TEST KITS. RESULTS CAN BE EXPECTED BY FRIDAY, BUT UNTIL THEN, THOSE WHO ARE TESTED ARE ASKED TO SELF-ISOLATE.>> THIS IS MORE LIKE A RAPID TEST, SO IT WILL TELL US IF YOU ARE POSITIVE OR NOT. DOES THAT MEAN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS YOU MAY GET TESTED AGAIN AND MAYBE POSITIVE? THIS GIVES US A POINT IN TIME FOR TODAY.>> EVEN THOUGH HE APPRECIATED THE ABILITY TO BE TESTED, HE SAYS WHAT HE WANTS IS TO BE TESTED FOR COVID ANTIBODIES.>> MYSELF INCLUDED AND A LOT OF PEOPLE I KNOW HAD THAT TERRIBLE COUGH AND FEVER BACK IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY. A LOT OF US THINK WE HAVE ALREADY HAD IT STOP — HAVE HAD IT.>> IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TESTED FOR ANTIBODIES, THE HOSPITAL RECOMMEND YOU GET IN CONTACT WITH YOUR DOCTOR TO ORDER AND — ORDER AN INDIVIDUAL TEST. BREA: TESTING IS SET TO LAST UNTIL 2:00 TODAY OR AS LONG AS TESTING SUPPLIES ARE THERE. YOU NEED TO BRING AN INSURANCE CARD IF YOU HAVE ONE ALONG WITH A PHOTO ID AND PHONE NUMBER. NO WORD WHEN THE COUNTY WILL OFFER ANOTHER ROUND OF TESTING. HAPPENING NOW IN DAVIDSON COUNTY — THERE’S A COMMUNITY TESTING EVENT FOR COVID-19 AT THE LEXINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AND SHOW SYMPTOMS OF THE CORONAVIRUS. THE NUMBER TO CALL IS ON YOUR SCREEN