Health - WCCB Charlotte

Pandemic Prompts Layoffs At Belk Department Store Chain

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted layoffs at the Belk department store chain, including at its North Carolina-based corporate headquarters.

Huge Spike In COVID-19 Cases Overwhelms South Carolina Tracers

South Carolina reported more people in the hospital and more deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday than any day since the pandemic began in March, overwhelming the ability to track cases and try to slow the spreading outbreak, the state’s top infectious disease specialist said.

Unemployment Falls to 11.1% As U.S. Added A Record 4.8 Million Jobs In June, But Pandemic Dims Outlook For Further Gains

U.S. employers added a substantial 4.8 million jobs in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 11.1%, as the job market improved for a second straight month yet still remained far short of regaining the colossal losses it suffered this spring.

CMS Mulls Reopen Plans Ahead of Cooper's Announcement

A decision on how the state will send students back to school delayed on Wednesday. As Governor Roy Cooper takes more time to consider which direction to take, local school districts revealed their plans and preparations for the school year ahead.

North Carolina Officials Say They Are Continuing To Work Towards Getting Students Back In The Classroom

Governor Roy Cooper today shared that North Carolina will continue working with schools, teachers, parents, and health experts to ensure that plans for school this coming year will protect everybody, especially those at high-risk.

Health Experts Slam US Deal For Large Supply Of Virus Drug

Public health experts on Wednesday criticized the U.S. for securing a large supply of the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19.

Little Evidence That Protests Spread Coronavirus In US

There is little evidence that the protests that erupted after George Floyd’s death caused a significant increase in U.S. coronavirus infections, according to public health experts.

'Still Scared': Health Workers Feel The Toll Of Virus Fight | PHOTOS

Outside a back door to a hospital where the coronavirus hit like a hurricane, a half-dozen staffers gathered recently to look back, and look inward.

North Carolina GOP Won't Hold In-Person Annual Convention

The North Carolina Republican Party canceled its annual in-person convention on Tuesday, citing the state health director, who warned such a high-risk gathering for spreading COVID-19 could puts lots of delegates in the hospital.

Local Black-Owned Businesses Collaborate To Teach Life Skills And Provide PPE

Creativity and collaboration, colliding for the greater good at a local, Black-owned business in Charlotte. Student interns from a local non-profit called Give N Go are getting real-life business skills and experience at MacFly Fresh Printing Co. in north Charlotte.

NCDHHS Launches Testing Initiative For Nursing Homes

“We are using every tool we have to respond to COVID-19,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D. “Building on North Carolina’s early and aggressive actions to protect residents who live in long-term care settings, DHHS will pay for proactive testing of staff and residents in all nursing homes to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

As July 4 Approaches, SC Health Officials Urge Staying Home

As South Carolina approaches a holiday weekend often an anchor for its typically booming tourism industry, and the state’s numbers of positive coronavirus tests continue to rise, public health officials are encouraging people to just stay home.

Chief Justice Extends Several Emergency Orders For NC Courts

The chief justice of North Carolina’s Supreme Court is extending various emergency directives in the state’s courts in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Europe Restricts Visitors From The US Amid Virus Resurgence

The European Continent on Tuesday reopened to visitors from 14 countries, but not the U.S., where some of the states that pushed hardest and earliest to reopen their economies are now in retreat because of an alarming surge in confirmed coronavirus infections.

Free COVID-19 Testing Available On June 30th In Northwest Charlotte

Carolina Therapeutic Services First and MCI Diagnostics Laboratory, in partnership with Boom Car Wash, presents FREE walk-up or drive-thru COVID-19 testing for Charlotte area residents.

COVID-19: More Than 1,000 People Hospitalized In South Carolina

South Carolina hospitals now hold more than 1,000 patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, and more than 10 localities have ordered people to wear masks to fight transmission of the coronavirus that causes the disease.

New RNC Host City Now Requiring Masks for Indoor Events

A major move to mandate masks in Jacksonville, Florida; the new home of the Republican National Convention.

Coronavirus Latest: Lt. Gov's Lawsuit; Business Struggles

Governor Roy Cooper is set to face another legal challenge over business shutdowns due to COVID-19. It comes despite a growing number of cases across the state.

York County Officials Recommend Residents To Wear Face Coverings While In Public

Due to the increase in York County COVID-19 cases, York County Government and the York County Sheriff’s Office recommend residents wear a mask or some type of face covering when out in a public setting, around people outside of your household and especially when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.