A number of American Red Cross chapters in North Carolina are issuing a plea for donations, citing a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the typical post-holiday decline in the winter. At times, the Greater Carolinas Region has had less than a one-day supply of critical blood types, communications director Maya Franklin told The Charlotte Observer.
The Greater Carolinas Region consists of five chapters serving 47 counties in North Carolina and four counties in South Carolina. Through the end of January, about 75% of donation appointments remain unfilled, compared to 56% during this time last year, Franklin said.