North Carolina crossed a major milestone in the coronavirus pandemic Monday when the state exceeded 100,000 confirmed cases of the virus, according to the state DHHS.

The state crossed the 100,000 case threshold just days after the New York Times reported that NC DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen requested the Trump administration to open 100 new federally funded testing sites after North Carolina began to see a spike in cases last month. Cohen suggested her request was not seriously entertained let alone granted.

As of Monday, more than 1,600 North Carolinians have died due to COVID-19 and hospitalizations due to the virus have continued to reach new highs in recent days.

NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin issued the following statement:

“Today’s milestone is a grave reminder of the Trump administration’s failures to keep North Carolinians safe. The president’s refusal to model good behavior, his constant assault on the science of this pandemic and his administration’s bungled response have left state governments high and dry as they struggle to address the crisis. Like so many other states, North Carolina needs more testing capacity, more PPE and more federal relief funding. Instead of leading, Trump is fighting about who’s to blame, promoting fake cures, and insulting the governors who are actually working to stop the spread of this deadly virus. We can’t afford four more years of this.”