5 years since COVID-19 hit North Carolina

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Monday, March 3, marks five years since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in North Carolina.

The infected person had traveled to Washington state and was exposed to the virus at a long-term care facility. Nearly 2,000 people died from COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County and 29,000 deaths in North Carolina were attributed to the virus.

The CDC recently changed its COVID-19 guidance, allowing people with mild symptoms to return to work after one day without a fever.

Free COVID-19 tests are still available through the federal government, despite reported plans to eliminate the program.