The number of reported COVID-19 cases has dropped since last week, while hospital admissions remained stable. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services' COVID-19 dashboard shows an almost 10% decrease in new cases over the previous week. Emergency room visits for people with COVID symptoms declined, going from 8% last week to 6.6% this week. The number of COVID virus particles found in wastewater has steadily risen for three weeks now as the more contagious BA. 5 variant continues to spread across North Carolina.