Five cases of COVID-19 strain reported in North Carolina as hospitalizations down

RALEIGH, N.C. (WWAY) — Mako Medical Laboratories announced today that there are currently five known cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant throughout North Carolina.

The B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant was first identified in the United Kingdom and makes up the majority of reported variant cases.

Mako has also identified one case of a variant called Denmark “cluster five” in North Carolina.

The state’s Department of Health and Human Services is reporting 4,172 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 791,521.

With 95 percent of hospitals reporting, 2,468 patients remain hospitalized with COVID-19. That is 55 less from Friday.

A total of 9,926 North Carolinians have died from the virus, 85 more since Friday.

The state’s percent positive test rate is 7.8%, down from Friday’s 7.9%.