COVID vaccine live updates: Here s what to know in North Carolina on May 17 Bailey Aldridge, Simone Jasper, and Hayley Fowler, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
May 17 We re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases surpass 991,000
At least 991,956 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 12,891 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 688 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from 864 on Sunday and 1,066 on Saturday. The state doesn t publish updated case counts over the weekend.
Canes enter playoffs as Central Division s top seed by Michael Smith @MSmithCanes / Hurricanes.com
For as long as they ve been in North Carolina, the Carolina Hurricanes had not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three consecutive seasons until this year.
Their ascent to a perennial contender began in 2018-19, when they surged up the standings in the second half of the season to break a decade-long playoff drought. The Canes then re-captured the hearts and minds of a yearning fanbase in a magical run to the Eastern Conference Final. That was only the beginning.
Though they bowed out in the First Round after sweeping their way through the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in the Toronto bubble, the Canes took another step in the 2020 postseason. Still, it was only a step.
The Carolina Hurricanes have gone from being mired in a nearly decade-long playoff drought to a division champion armed with postseason experience and success. The teams open their series Monday, with the Hurricanes facing heightened expectations after winning the Central Division for their first division crown since hoisting the Stanley Cup 15 years ago. “I feel like everybody’s hunting each other,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour, captain of the 2006 title winner.
Martinook: We ve got one thing on our mind by Michael Smith @MSmithCanes / Hurricanes.com
On the north side of the Carolina Hurricanes locker room, above the doors that players enter and leave through each day, is a dual-sided placard.
On one side, as the players enter, it reads: Earn It.
On the other side, as the players leave, it reads: Did You?
The Canes certainly did earn it in the 2020-21 regular season. In 56 games, they assembled one of their best seasons in franchise history and secured first place in the Central Division, the team s first division title since 2005-06 and fourth since arriving in North Carolina.
NHL experts make bold 2021 playoff predictions on X factors, best series, more
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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are here and it s time for a refresher (1:12)
Greg Wyshynski breaks down the NHL playoff format this season and how it differs from years past. (1:12)
The 2021 NHL season was a campaign the likes of which we ve never seen and hope to never see again. The game schedule was limited (both in overall volume and variety of opponents). The fan capacity was limited. Thankfully, the permutations of how the Stanley Cup Final might play out are less limited because the NHL rebrackets the final four once we get to the semifinals.