COVID-19 hospitalizations are once again surging in North Carolina, with over 1,500 people fighting the disease in our hospitals. Kendall Morris joins this morning's show to discuss why experts say patients are getting younger thanks to the delta variant. 

Ben Thompson connects the dots on why people battling COVID-19 aren't just getting younger, they're getting sicker. As the delta variant spreads, doctors say they're seeing more patients in their 20s and 30s in the ICU. This is especially concerning as vaccination rates for young adults are less than half of what it is for senior citizens. 

Mecklenburg County commissioners approved an agreement with the city of Charlotte that will provide tax incentives for the development of the old Eastland Mall site. Richard DeVayne shares the details of that agreement and when the vote will take place. 

And of course, we're talking about the Tokyo Olympics! Team USA has been strong in track & field but there's still a lot of competition left before we tally up the final medal count. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeupCLT!

North Carolina health officials are breaking out a new incentive to encourage people to take the COVID-19 vaccine: $100 cash cards. These $100 prepaid cards are available to anyone 18 and older who gets the first dose of the vaccine at a participating clinic. The state is also providing $25 cards for anyone who drives another person to their vaccine appointment. Kendall Morris joins the show to discuss how this program will work and how long it could run. 

Mecklenburg County commissioners will meet Wednesday to discuss future plans for the old Eastland Mall site. The $26 million project will have mixed-income housing, a park, greenways, businesses and even a full-serve grocery store. Richard DeVayne has the details, as well as a look at how Charlotte FC, David Tepper's new Major League Soccer franchise, could be involved. 

Ben Thompson connects the dots on why the COVID-19 vaccine is safe despite not yet receiving full FDA approval. Instead, they have emergency use authorization, which is a slightly different standard. But make no mistake, these vaccines are safe and effective against the coronavirus. 

Finally, Ruby Durham breaks down what you missed at the Olympics Tuesday night, including a new world record set by an American sprinter. Charlotte native Anna Cockrell was also competing for gold but she was disqualified in the women's 400-meter hurdle final; Ruby explains what led to the DQ for our hometown Olympian. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

American gymnast Simone Biles returned for her final event at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles competed in the women's balance beam finals, and her performance left everyone in awe. 

Mecklenburg County employees are now required to wear masks inside county buildings and provide their vaccine status to the county, according to Mecklenburg County Manager Diorio. 

Employees are not required to get the vaccine but must disclose whether they are vaccinated by Sept. 1. Employees who are unvaccinated will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result weekly, starting Sept. 7. 

Plus, Richard DeVayne joins us with a recap of National Night Out, an event designed to built trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Organizers say NNO provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances said Larry Stevens a Reserve Officer with the York Police Department. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

COVID-19 case numbers are rising across South Carolina and North Carolina with health officials saying the vast majority are the delta variant. Ben Thompson connects the dots on what makes the delta variant so contagious and how we can help mitigate the spread by using measures from the beginning of the pandemic. Plus, Ben breaks down the latest COVID-19 metrics from both states, including the vaccination rate among adults who are eligible for the shot. 

Richard DeVayne joins the show from Uptown Charlotte, where city council is scheduled to meet Monday evening to discuss new protections for the LGBTQ community. The proposed ordinance comes five years after the controversial House Bill 2 put North Carolina in the national spotlight over nondiscrimination ordinances. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education is set to meet Friday, July 30, at 9 a.m. to consider masking requirements for this upcoming school year. Ahead of that meeting, however, the superintendent for the district says he recommends universal mask requirements for everyone inside the district's schools.

WCNC Charlotte obtained the memo sent by Earnest Winston on Thursday, in which he made the recommendation. Winston cites new data from Mecklenburg County Public Health that shows increasing cases of COVID-19 in the county, along with other recommendations from the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the ABC Science Collaborative.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/cms-board-of-education-mask-requirements-2021/275-f3d9a414-8011-4684-a5a4-9a5e68a1140c

 North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper didn't announce a new statewide mask mandate during a Thursday briefing, but he and state health leaders urged citizens to get a COVID-19 vaccine following the CDC's new guidance that recommends even fully vaccinated people wear coverings indoors due to a rise in COVID-19. 

At the beginning of the briefing, Cooper had a grim message for people who were unvaccinated: "Get a vaccine today." 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/north-carolina-roy-cooper-mask-update-delta-fully-vaccinated-cdc-guidance/275-bee63f04-c08e-4d4f-b6f9-2b321b7540df

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!  

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to give an update on face mask guidelines after the CDC issued new guidance recommending even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors. Cooper's announcement comes after he recommended masks in schools for K-8 students and any unvaccinated high school students and staff. Kendall Morris has a preview of what the governor's decision could be and how it might affect even vaccinated people. 

Richard DeVayne has a report from South Carolina, where health officials have recommended masks despite a state law that forbids a mandate on face coverings. The new guidance comes as cases are rising. Recent data shows, in the month of June more than 90% of COVID-19 cases and deaths were among those not fully vaccinated. 

Plus, Ben Thompson connects the dots on North Carolina's mask guidance and new rules from the CDC that might seem confusing, especially if you're vaccinated and feel protected from COVID-19. 

And finally, Ruby Durham discusses Simone Biles and her response to fans after withdrawing from the individual all-around competition in Tokyo. Biles thanked her supporters for the outpouring of love during a difficult time for her. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a..m on WCNC Charlotte, and as always join our conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!

Simone Biles will not defend her Olympic title.

The American gymnastics superstar withdrew from Thursday's all-around competition to focus on her mental well-being.

USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Wednesday that the 24-year-old is opting to not compete. The decision comes a day after Biles removed herself from the team final following one rotation because she felt she wasn't mentally ready.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges.

Citing new information about the variant's ability to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status.

Sam Darnold isn't saying whether or not he’s been vaccinated against the coronavirus. 

Instead, Carolina’s new starting quarterback said his focus is on making “smart decisions” as he tries to resurrect his NFL career. 

The 24-year-old Darnold raised some eyebrows in June when he said on a Zoom call he hadn’t been vaccinated. 

Hundreds of passengers are stranded at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after Monday evening's storms.

Monday evening's storms canceled and delayed flights heading out of Charlotte.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/wake-up-charlotte/overnight-storms-strand-passengers-at-charlotte-douglas/275-7b835acc-ac48-4859-ac05-135183ac2a5e

The mask debate is heating up again thanks to the rapid spread of the Delta variant.

Now some doctors want to push things even further, saying your old cloth masks might not cut it. 

Let's connect the dots. 

Any way you look at it, the Delta variant is a lot more contagious.

Evidence shows it can travel from person to person in just seconds and with limited contact.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/some-doctors-saying-cloth-masks-are-not-good-enough/275-54ffb20d-c506-4066-b201-581c3bbe6f82 

Multiple school districts in the Charlotte area are expected to discuss COVID-19 protocols this week after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper strongly recommended masks for most students this upcoming school year. 

The Caldwell County Board of Education is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Monday to discuss back-to-school plans. It's unclear if the district will propose any mask requirements or guidelines at this time. Several districts in the area, including Iredell-Statesville Schools and Union County Public Schools, voted to make masks optional this year. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/masks-in-schools-north-carolina-districts-discussing-mandate/275-c1933ffd-836e-4f52-86ca-69eae948f0c3

 Multiple civil rights groups in North Carolina announced they have reached a settlement with the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department over the use of tear gas on protesters in Uptown last summer following the murder of George Floyd. 

On June 2, 2020, hundreds of people filled the streets to protest police brutality after Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. They were met with tear gas from CMPD. Some of the protesters said they were trapped, by a maneuver called kettling, by the officers and had no way to escape.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/agreement-reached-charlotte-protests-george-floyd-cmpd-changes/275-45766748-fd69-4555-a70b-375f144d2434

The countdown to Tokyo is at zero, as the Opening Ceremony is today! After a one-year delay due to COVID-19, the Olympics in Tokyo will be unlike anything we've ever seen, and you can catch all of the action on WCNC Charlotte and the WCNC Charlotte app! 

There's a new push to vaccinate health care workers in North Carolina. Both Atrium and Novant announced Thursday they will mandate coronavirus vaccinations for all employees. If they don't take the shot, some workers could face termination. WCNC Charlotte's Kendall Morris has the latest on the requirement facing health care staff in the Carolinas. STORY: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/novant-atrium-to-require-employees-to-be-vaccinated-against-covid-19/275-fbb1f3d2-86d5-4850-a937-f5a10da0a60b

American Airlines posted a profit for the first time in more than a year, and now the airline is looking to boost business even more. Richard DeVayne joins Wake Up Charlotte To Go from Charlotte Douglas International Airport with the latest on American's plan to get workers back on the job and the goal to hire hundreds of new pilots. STORY: https://www.wcnc.com/article/travel/charlotte-douglas-largest-carrier-making-moves-to-bring-back-even-more-passengers/275-beed507f-1b6d-467d-8d5f-ea2d1bc88611

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app. And as always, watch Wake Up Charlotte To Go from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte and join our conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!