By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter, and Keenan Willard, WRAL eastern North Carolina reporter
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday released an updated COVID-19 guidance toolkit for public schools.
In-person learning and keeping children and staff in schools while decreasing risk of transmission of COVID-19 is the priority for these new guidelines.
One of the most significant updates the agency recommended involved how students handle COVID-19 exposure saying, “Individual contact tracing and exclusion from school of asymptomatic people after an identified exposure is no longer recommended statewide in K-12 schools.”
That means, effective on Monday, Feb. 21, students exposed to COVID-19 who don’t show any symptoms will be allowed to stay in the classroom.
It was not the change one of the state’s top republicans had asked for.
House Speaker Tim Moore wrote a letter to the governor Thursday, calling on his administration to change Department of Health and Human Services guidelines that the speaker said “have all but compelled local schools to keep their mask mandates in place.”
The toolkit still recommends that districts in high areas of COVID-19 spread have a universal masking rule in place for everyone older than two, and that schools can consider moving to mask optional when COVID-19 spread is defined as moderate or low by the CDC.
“I’m pleased and hopeful that we can get back to normal lives with the understanding that we’re all going to need to do things to make sure that we protect ourselves, dependent upon the risk,” Cooper said.
Cooper’s comments came during a Thursday morning visit to a childcare center in Goldsboro.
Governor Cooper specifically said with COVID-19 numbers falling, the state would be reviewing its mask guidance for schools.
But the new rules sent the same message: mask up in class.
Philip Hackley has two twin boys in first grade in Wake County schools.
“I’m excited about the idea of them being able to go to school without masks. I think it is to some extent limiting,” said Hackley.
He says after two years of pandemic rules, he’s ready for the day when they can learn without masks, but only if experts say the time is right.
“Our general position is that we don’t want our family to get sick and we don’t want to see anybody else get sick,” said Hackley. “As long as that’s what the science is telling us to do we’re happy to do it.”
Public school masking requirements are decided system-by-system, but DHHS guidelines recommend them in areas with higher COVID spread. According to the N.C. School Boards Association, as of Feb. 4 most systems required masks. Twenty-eight, the association said, were mask optional.
Johnston and Cumberland county schools recently voted to make masks optional, a change that goes into effect later this month.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
4 p.m. Wake County Public Health has confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 at Chatham Commons, an assisted living facility at 809 W. Chatham St. in Cary.
This is the facility’s second outbreak. The previous outbreak occurred in January. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services defines an outbreak as two or more people – residents or employees – testing positive for the virus.
3 p.m. Gov. Roy Cooper is giving a COVID-19 update and also talked about the flooding in western North Carolina in the wake of rain from tropical system Fred.
Cooper said he has declared a State of Emergency for the area where search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing.
Speaking on the pandemic, Cooper announced the final winners of the state’s vaccine lottery.
Cooper said the final winner of the $1 million cash drawing was Lilly Fowler, from East Bend in Yadkin County. She is a senior at NC State.
Fowler said she was pretty frugal and hoped to save to buy a house. She said she does want to take her cousin to Walt Disney World.
The final scholarship winner was 15-year-old Breelyn Dean of Garner, a rising high school sophomore with a 4.0 GPA.
Dean said she wants to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cooper invited Live Nation’s Jeannine Benson to speak, and she announced that beginning Oct. 4, proof of vaccinations or negative tests will be required at all of Live Nation’s live music venues.
The governor also stressed his preference that students wear masks in schools. He noted many school districts have already implemented face coverings and other health measures.
“Requiring masks in schools will help keep students learning in the classroom while helping to keep COVID out,” Cooper said. “We want schools to educate children, not become hotspots for the virus, and I commend the school leaders who are looking out for the health of their students and staff.”
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state health secretary, joined Cooper in urging people to get vaccinated.
“This is not where we want to be,” Cooper said. “But we have a sure way out — vaccines.”
Cooper said he has asked the President to authorize more National Guard help.
“It’s encouraging that our state’s vaccine rate has increased in recent weeks. We need to double down on that progress,” the governor said. “Talk with your friends and family about why it’s important for all of us to get our shots.”
11:55 a.m. North Carolina health officials are reporting 5,256 new cases of COVID-19 with a 13.2% positive test rate.
Throughout the state, 2,930 patients are being hospitalized with the virus. That is 102 more than Tuesday.
Throughout North Carolina, 13,952 people have died from COVID. 57 more deaths were reported on Wednesday.
NCDHHS reports 63 percent of adult North Carolinians have received as least one COVID vaccine dose.
11:20 a.m. U.S. health officials Wednesday recommended all Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling.
The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20.
WEDNESDAY MORNING HEADLINES Gov. Roy Cooper will talk Wednesday afternoon about the ongoing COVID-19 surge in North Carolina, especially among children.
NCDHHS reports 6,000 kids tested positive for COVID-19 last week. That’s up from about 5,600 the week before. The same report showed 19 COVID-19 clusters in K-12 schools and 31 clusters in child care centers–a massive jump from just 9 three weeks ago.
WATCH: Granville County mourns death of teen to COVID-19
The metrics are especially concerning for parents of children under 12, who are still not eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I am a little concerned just because she is too young for the vaccination. She has to wear a mask every day. I’m just not sure how the kids are going to do honestly,” Kara Lewis said.
This comes less than a week before the start of school for the majority of students in North Carolina’s largest school district. Wake County Public School System continues to tout its COVID-19 protocols, saying it will do everything possible to keep students safe and in the classroom.
Masks are mandatory regardless of vaccination status, lunchtimes have been shortened and will be done with as little talking as possible, and seating charts are required throughout schools to allow for easier contact tracing.
Wayne County Public Schools is changing course–now requiring all students and staff to wear masks while indoor.
Classes at UNC will begin today for the fall semester. Some faculty and staff spent the first half of the week trying to get school leaders to delay the start of in-person classes because of the COVID-19 surge.
Instead, UNC is requiring students and staff to either be fully vaccinated or get tested regularly. Masks are also required indoors for everybody.
Anyone going to a Carolina Panthers football game this year will be required to wear masks in all indoor spaces. That same policy will be in place for the two college football games scheduled at Bank of America Stadium this year.
Plus, Moore County is now requiring masks for anyone entering government buildings.
And finally, the Town of Cary’s indoor mask mandate goes into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
WATCH: How Raleigh businesses are enforcing the mask mandate
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
CDC COVID-19 Transmission Levels by U.S. County
Map not displaying correctly? Click here to open in a new window.
10:05 a.m. The North Carolina Zoo will vaccinate some of its animals against COVID-19.
Our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer confirmed that 15 chimpanzees and seven gorillas will be inoculated with an experimental vaccine designed specifically for animals.
Full story
7:40 a.m. Israel’s prime minister on Thursday announced that the country would offer a coronavirus booster to people over 60 who have already been vaccinated.
The announcement by Naftali Bennett makes Israel, which launched one of the world’s most successful vaccination drives earlier this year, the first country to offer a third dose of a Western vaccine to its citizens on a wide scale.
“I’m announcing this evening the beginning of the campaign to receive the booster vaccine, the third vaccine,” Bennett said in a nationally televised address. “Reality proves the vaccines are safe. Reality also proves the vaccines protect against severe morbidity and death. And like the flu vaccine that needs to be renewed from time to time, it is the same in this case.”
The decision comes at a time of rising infections and signs that the vaccine’s efficacy dwindles over time.
7:35 a.m. The Biden administration announced Thursday it will allow a nationwide ban on evictions to expire Saturday, arguing that its hands are tied after the Supreme Court signaled the moratorium would only be extended until the end of the month.
The White House said President Joe Biden would have liked to extend the federal eviction moratorium due to spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. Instead, Biden called on “Congress to extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families without delay.”
“Given the recent spread of the delta variant, including among those Americans both most likely to face evictions and lacking vaccinations, President Biden would have strongly supported a decision by the CDC to further extend this eviction moratorium to protect renters at this moment of heightened vulnerability,” the White House said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has made clear that this option is no longer available.”
Aides to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Sherrod Brown, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, said the two are working on legislation to extend the moratorium. Democrats will try to pass a bill as soon as possible and are urging Republicans not to block it.
7:30 a.m. The Delta coronavirus variant surging across the United States appears to cause more severe illness and spread as easily as chickenpox, according to an internal document from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The document – a slide presentation – outlines unpublished data that shows fully vaccinated people might spread the Delta variant at the same rate as unvaccinated people.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky confirmed the authenticity of the document, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
“I think people need to understand that we’re not crying wolf here. This is serious,” she told CNN.
“It’s one of the most transmissible viruses we know about. Measles, chickenpox, this — they’re all up there.”
FRIDAY MORNING HEADLINES The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the Delta variant of COVID-19 is highly contagious–likening it to things like chicken pox or the common cold.
That change is part of the basis for why the CDC updated its mask guidance to encourage even vaccinated people to wear masks indoors. Friday, the CDC is expected to release the data they have showing just how contagious the Delta variant really is.
SEE ALSO: Gov. Cooper says everyone in counties with high rates of spread should wear masks indoors
Local lawmakers and business owners are adjusting to the new mask guidelines Wake County leaders are set to talk about the mask guidance at a 10 a.m. meeting.
The pending mask adjustments come as COVID-19 cases are spiking across the country. In North Carolina, the most recent data showed 3,268 new cases Thursday.
THURSDAY 5:52 p.m. Johnston County students and staffers will be under a mask-optional policy for the coming school year.
At a Special Called Session on Thursday, the Johnston County Board of Education voted 4-3 to make face coverings optional for all students and staff.
The school board did not immediately release any further details regarding the decision.
4:15 p.m. President Joe Biden is urging local governments to offer $100 to those who get vaccinated with funding from the American Rescue Plan.
Biden will also announce Thursday that all federal government employees and outside contractors will be asked to “attest to their vaccination status,” and those who aren’t vaccinated must social distance, get tested once or twice a week and wear a mask at work no matter where they live. This includes members of the Armed Forces and National Guard.
3:30 p.m. Governor Roy Cooper and Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mandy Cohen on Thursday announced all state government employees in his administration must prove their vaccination status or submit to regular testing for COVID-19 and wear a mask.
“Our trends have turned sharply in the wrong direction,” he said ahead of that announcement.
Central North Carolina residents react to Cooper’s announcement:
Cooper said he “urges” and “implores” local businesses, corporations, universities, and other government agencies in the Council of State to adopt his administration’s new protocols “at a minimum.”
Cohen said there’s a rapid rise in new COVID-19 cases in the state.
“This is because the COVID virus is now much, much more contagious,” she said.
Cohen said that the original COVID spread from one person to an average of two to three people. But now, the Delta variant spreads from one person to an average of six people.
2:45 p.m. Approximately one year ago, in late July of 2020, the U.S. had just experienced its COVID-19 summer surge, and was beginning to see a downturn, after six weeks of steady increases throughout the late spring, and early summer.
On July 27, 2020, the U.S. average was averaging about 63,400 new COVID-19 cases a day, down from its peak of 68,000 cases reported a day, a week prior.
Now, a year later, on July 27, 2021, the U.S. case average is back at similar levels, now averaging nearly 62,000 new cases a day.
1 p.m. A whopping 3,268 new COVID-19 cases were reported in North Carolina on Thursday.
That’s a significant spike from Wednesday and well above the 7-day average.
The number of tests completed also shot up in the state to more than 29,000. That shows that more people in the state are worried they might have COVID.
The percent of positive tests in the state is at 9.3%.
1,141 people are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19.
13,618 deaths have been reported since the beginning of the pandemic.
12:15 p.m. “It’s time to step up. It’s time to get that shot now. Do not wait. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for your friends. The shot is safe. The shot is effective,” Gov. Roy Cooper said at a vaccine site in Nashville, North Carolina.
Cooper visited the McDonald’s in Nashville where the National Guard has set up a COVID-19 vaccination site.
The site allows people to get vaccinated without leaving their cars. People who got the shot also received a coupon for a free McDonald’s sandwich.
Cooper spoke at the event, but declined to talk about pending changes to the state’s vaccination requirements or mask guidelines. Cooper will address those topics during his 3 p.m. press conference–which you can watch in the above video player or on ABC11.
Instead, Cooper praised North Carolinians who already received the vaccine and encouraged them to keep advocating for their friends and family to get vaccinated.
“People who are vaccinated I know are frustrated and mad right now, because they have stepped up and done their part. But I want vaccinated people to encourage the unvaccinated now more than ever. Because vaccinated people can be some of our best messengers.”
Cooper went on to say the only way to finally get back to what life was like before the virus is to get vaccinated.
“It’s time for us to step up and put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror, and we can’t do it until we get more people vaccinated.”
8:45 a.m. President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that millions of federal workers must show proof they’ve received a coronavirus vaccine or submit to regular testing and stringent social distancing, masking and travel restrictions.
An individual familiar with the president’s plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm details that had yet to be announced publicly, emphasized that the new guidance is not a vaccine mandate for federal employees and that those who decide not to get vaccinated aren’t at risk of being fired.
The new policy amounts to a recognition by the Biden administration that the government – the nation’s biggest employer – must do more to boost sluggish vaccination rates, as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rebound, driven largely by the spread of the more infectious delta variant.
THURSDAY MORNING HEADLINES
Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to share new COVID-19 guidelines when he speaks publicly this afternoon at 3.
Coronavirus cases are on the rise in North Carolina and across the country. New research on the highly contagious Delta variant shows even vaccinated people can spread it.
That new research prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its mask guidance–now suggesting that all people wear masks inside in areas where cases are prevalent.
The CDC also now suggests vaccinated people get tested for COVID-19 after they are exposed to a known positive case.
SEE ALSO: Some Triangle businesses reinstate mask mandate as COVID cases surge
But what do these changes mean for North Carolina? That’s what we expect Gov. Cooper to address this afternoon.
Wednesday saw the state confirm more than 2,600 new cases, with a positivity rate at 10.8 percent. That’s the second straight day above 10 percent and the highest daily case count since February.
Health experts continue to stress how important it is to get vaccinated. As the vast majority of all these cases, and even more so the cases that result in hospitalization, are among unvaccinated people.
WATCH: Healthcare worker has message for vaccine-resistant hospital workers
WEDNESDAY 5:15 p.m. North Carolina State University announced that face coverings will be required in classrooms and laboratories for the first three weeks of the semester.
Face masks will not be required outdoors.
In other indoor spaces, those who are vaccinated are the exception to this requirement. The university encourages anyone who has not been fully vaccinated to continue wearing masks indoors and when in close contact with others.
The requirement extends to the campus’ bussing system.
4:30 p.m. Duke University announced all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear face masks in all Duke-owned and leased buildings effective Friday, July 30, until further notice.
The university cited the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in North Carolina related to a combination of the Delta variant and the number of people who remain unvaccinated, as its reasoning. Masks will not be required in on-campus residence halls.
Triangle hospitals say they are seeing an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Dr. Lisa Pickett, chief medical officer at Duke University Hospital, said their numbers are double from what they were two weeks ago.
While they don’t know if patients have the Delta variant since they don’t sequence at the time of admission, they presume many do, since it’s the most prevalent strain in our area, Dr. Pickett said.
WakeMed Health & Hospitals is reporting their COVID inpatient hospitalizations tripled in the last month.
A spokeswoman said more than 92 percent of COVID inpatients are unvaccinated and that the Delta variant is responsible for a spike in cases. She is stressing vaccination and said the comprehensive use of masks and other personal protective equipment inside all of their facilities is helping keeping staff and patients and their families safe.
UNC Health has 150 COVID patients in hospitals. That’s about the same as a year ago and up from about 50 patients a month ago, according to a spokesperson. UNC Health said most of their cases are among the unvaccinated and due to the Delta variant. “A couple of days ago (North Carolina) crossed 1,000 people again for the first time in quite a few months in terms of hospitalized bed numbers and it is baked into the system, that the number is going to go up for at least a couple of weeks,” said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, Duke Health infectious disease specialist, in a virtual news conference Wednesday.
A new Lambda variant was first identified in Peru and some cases have been reported in the U.S. but the World Health Organization doesn’t consider it a variant of concern. It does consider the Delta variant one though.
Q&A: Is it still safe to travel amid rising COVID-19 cases?
“We’re part of a team that works with the people who are doing the genetic surveillance and looking at what other variants are out there,” said Dr. David Montefiori, director of the Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research and Development at Duke University Medical Center, in the news conference. “They’re not prevalent enough to be a variant of interest or a variant of concern yet but do they have the potential to escape our vaccines? Does this virus have the ability to completely escape our vaccines? That’s a question that we’re studying and that other people are studying.”
Dr. Wolfe said if you’re outdoors, there’s typically a lower risk of contracting the Delta virus than indoors. He said vaccinations matter and that a mask helps further reduce the spread.
“If your outdoor activity is a spaced out game on the soccer field, in reality your risk is extremely low,” Dr. Wolfe said. “So athletics last year, for example, were very good at going through degrees of proving that in fact on field transmissions were exceptionally uncommon.”
“I think if your situation is an outdoor concert venue where for protracted periods of time, you’re sitting in close proximity, perhaps yelling and screaming at the concert, that risk has gone up,” Dr. Wolfe said. “And the way that it stands at the moment is our chance of having someone in close proximity to you, who has, unbeknownst to them, COVID, has also gone up.”
Montefiori said it’s critical to keep the pandemic under control to keep the virus from mutating and becoming more resistant to vaccines, something routinely seen with influenza strains.
“Every time the virus gets transmitted from one person to another, it has an opportunity to mutate, to change, and so the more we can shut this pandemic down and slow down the spread of the virus, the less opportunities it’s going to have to continue to mutate and change and become more contagious and potentially even escape our vaccines,” he said.
That leads to the question on booster shots and Montefiori said that could be a real possibility.
“I think we’re probably getting very close to a time where we’re going to know if and when a boost is necessary,” he said. “I believe that boosting will be necessary. It’s very likely going to strengthen the immune response against the variants.”
4:25 p.m. The Durham County Department of Public Health will offer COVID-19 vaccines at Durham Academy and Lakewood Shopping Center during the week of July 26, 2021.
When: Thursday, July 29, 4:30pm-6:00pm Where: Durham Academy. 3116 Academy Rd., Durham, NC 27707 Vaccines offered: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson; first & second doses How to be vaccinated: Appointments & walk-ins. Open to all people 12 and older. To schedule an appointment, call 919-560-9217.
When: Saturday, July 31, 5:00pm-8:00pm Where: Lakewood Shopping Center. 2000 Chapel Hill Rd., Durham, NC 27707 Vaccines offered: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson; first & second doses How to be vaccinated: Appointments & walk-ins. Open to all people 12 and older. To schedule an appointment, call 919-560-9217.
2:45 p.m. Pfizer released new data showing its vaccine’s ability to protect against severe illness remains strong six months out. Efficacy against symptomatic disease also remains high, but appears to taper off over time.
Pfizer is using this data to bolster its argument that booster shots are needed six months out.
But the FDA – not the company – will decide if and when booster shots are needed. This data has not yet been peer reviewed.
12:15 p.m. 2,633 new COVID-19 cases were reported in North Carolina on Wednesday. That’s even higher than the count on this day last year — which was 1,805 new cases. This marks the highest daily cases since Feb. 27.
The percent positive in the state is at 10.8%. Tuesday marked the first time over 10% since the end of January. Tuesday’s percent positive was 10.2%.
1,091 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state. Tuesday marked the first day with hospitalizations above 1,000 since May 7.
The number of patients hospitalized has doubled in the last two weeks.
13,606 people have died since the start of the pandemic.
The percent of the adult population that has at least one dose of the vaccine in North Carolina has inched up one percent to 61%.
Despite vaccines declining since early June, the state finally saw an increase last week. Last week, about 94,000 doses were administered. That’s a 17% increase from the week before. Most of the new vaccines were first doses. 17,000 more people got a first dose last week than the week before. 59,000 total people last week got a first dose.
12 p.m. In the last week, the US reported the highest number of new COVID cases in the world, according to the WHO.
For the week of July 19-25, the US reported a 131% increase in new COVID cases, over the previous week, according to the latest WHO epidemiological report.
There were 3.8 million new COVID cases reported worldwide in the last week, an 8% increase over the previous week.
The number of new COVID related deaths increased sharply this week to over 69,000, up 21% from 57,000 last week.
The Americas and European regions are reporting the highest weekly case incidence per capita: 123.3 and 108.3 new cases per 100,000 residents respectively.
10:50 a.m. Anyone working for NCDHHS at state-operated facilities will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 30.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a statement about its decision Wednesday saying the vaccine is the most effective weapon in the fight against the pandemic.
The agency’s decision falls in line with recommendations from the North Carolina Healthcare Association, the American Medical Association and the American Nursing Association.
The full statement is below:
“NCDHHS will require that that all employees, volunteers, students, trainees, as well as contracted and temporary workers working at state-operated facilities be fully vaccinated or receive an approved medical or religious exemption by September 30, 2021. Vaccination for COVID-19 is the most effective prevention against the disease. Over 75% of DSOHF facility staff are vaccinated, with three facilities over 90%. As a health care system, we have a responsibility to protect the patients and residents that we serve – many of whom are at high risk for COVID-19 complications, are without other options for care, and in our care for long periods of time. It is well documented that health care personnel often unintentionally introduce the virus into institutional settings prompting an outbreak. That’s why numerous professional organizations recommend that vaccines be required for all healthcare and long-term care staff, including the North Carolina Healthcare Association and over 50 national groups such the American Medical Association and the American Nursing Association. Rigorous clinical trials among thousands of people ages 12 and older, have proven that vaccines are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 and virus-related hospitalization and death. More than 160 million Americans have been safely vaccinated.”
9:20 a.m. A third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can “strongly” boost protection against the delta variant — beyond the protection afforded by the standard two doses, suggests new data released by Pfizer on Wednesday.
The data posted online, which are expected to be discussed in a company earnings call on Wednesday morning, suggest that antibody levels against the delta variant in people ages 18 to 55 who receive a third dose of vaccine are greater than five-fold than following a second dose.
9:15 a.m. Dr. Rochelle Walensky says new mask-wearing guidance, coupled with higher rates of vaccination against COVID-19, could halt the current escalation of infections in “a couple of weeks.”
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told “CBS This Morning” she hopes more stringent mask-wearing guidelines and other measures won’t be necessary as the country heads into the fall.
“We can halt the chain of transmission,” she said. “We can do something if we unify together, if we get people vaccinated who are not yet vaccinated, if we mask in the interim, we can halt this in just a matter of a couple of weeks.”
With the delta variant fueling a surge of infections across the country, the CDC on Tuesday recommended even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in areas where the variant is prevalent.
Walensky says the new guidance was prompted by data that vaccinated people can pass on the virus. However, the vast number of infections are occurring in unvaccinated people, she noted. Walensky said 80% of the counties with the highest number of infections have less than 40% of people vaccinated.
The nation is averaging more than 57,000 cases a day and 24,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. The guidance on masks in indoor public places applies in parts of the U.S. with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week.
9 a.m. WakeMed Health & Hospitals has told workers it will require them to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The Raleigh-area hospital system is the leading provider in the state’s second largest county. It has three acute care hospitals and one physical rehabilitation hospital.
The timeline for when the vaccine requirement will take effect has not yet been determined. The move comes amid growing concern of the more contagious delta variant. Several other North Carolina hospital systems have announced plans to compel workers to come in get vaccinated. WakeMed’s vaccine requirement will apply to all employees, providers and volunteers in the “near future.”
8:45 a.m. Duke University announced all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear face masks in all Duke-owned and leased buildings effective Friday, July 30, until further notice.
The university cited the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in North Carolina related to a combination of the Delta variant and the number of people who remain unvaccinated, as its reasoning.
Masks will not be required in on-campus residence halls.
WEDNESDAY MORNING HEADLINES Gov. Roy Cooper and the state’s coronavirus task force will not be issuing an update today as previously planned.
The governor’s office said Tuesday afternoon that the previously planned Wednesday update would be pushed to Thursday.
Meanwhile, Cooper said he is reviewing mask guidance issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC changed its mask recommendations in light of new evidence about the Delta variant of COVID-19.
That variant has become the most dominant form of the virus in the US. The CDC’s new evidence suggests that vaccinated people remain well protected against all forms of COVID-19, including the Delta variant. However, unlike other variants, vaccinated people can still spread the Delta variant.
That’s why the CDC said all people should wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Since the COVID-19 vaccines still provide strong protection against the Delta variant, health officials continue to urge people to get vaccinated.
Many healthcare facilities have begun mandating vaccines for their employees.
President Joe Biden is expected to announce federal employees will be required to be vaccinated or else face “stringent COVID-19 protocols.”
Q&A: With the Delta variant spreading, can vaccinated people feel safe without a mask?
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
CDC COVID-19 Transmission Levels by U.S. County
Map not displaying correctly? Click here to open in a new window.
4:15 p.m. President Joe Biden is urging local governments to offer $100 to those who get vaccinated with funding from the American Rescue Plan.
Biden will also announce Thursday that all federal government employees and outside contractors will be asked to “attest to their vaccination status,” and those who aren’t vaccinated must social distance, get tested once or twice a week and wear a mask at work no matter where they live. This includes members of the Armed Forces and National Guard.
3:30 p.m. Governor Roy Cooper and Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mandy Cohen on Thursday announced all state government employees in his administration must prove their vaccination status or submit to regular testing for COVID-19 and wear a mask.
“Our trends have turned sharply in the wrong direction,” he said ahead of that announcement.
Central North Carolina residents react to Cooper’s announcement:
Cooper said he “urges” and “implores” local businesses, corporations, universities, and other government agencies in the Council of State to adopt his administration’s new protocols “at a minimum.”
Cohen said there’s a rapid rise in new COVID-19 cases in the state.
“This is because the COVID virus is now much, much more contagious,” she said.
Cohen said that the original COVID spread from one person to an average of two to three people. But now, the Delta variant spreads from one person to an average of six people.
2:45 p.m. Approximately one year ago, in late July of 2020, the U.S. had just experienced its COVID-19 summer surge, and was beginning to see a downturn, after six weeks of steady increases throughout the late spring, and early summer.
On July 27, 2020, the U.S. average was averaging about 63,400 new COVID-19 cases a day, down from its peak of 68,000 cases reported a day, a week prior.
Now, a year later, on July 27, 2021, the U.S. case average is back at similar levels, now averaging nearly 62,000 new cases a day.
1 p.m. A whopping 3,268 new COVID-19 cases were reported in North Carolina on Thursday.
That’s a significant spike from Wednesday and well above the 7-day average.
The number of tests completed also shot up in the state to more than 29,000. That shows that more people in the state are worried they might have COVID.
The percent of positive tests in the state is at 9.3%.
1,141 people are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19.
13,618 deaths have been reported since the beginning of the pandemic.
12:15 p.m. “It’s time to step up. It’s time to get that shot now. Do not wait. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for your friends. The shot is safe. The shot is effective,” Gov. Roy Cooper said at a vaccine site in Nashville, North Carolina.
Cooper visited the McDonald’s in Nashville where the National Guard has set up a COVID-19 vaccination site.
The site allows people to get vaccinated without leaving their cars. People who got the shot also received a coupon for a free McDonald’s sandwich.
Cooper spoke at the event, but declined to talk about pending changes to the state’s vaccination requirements or mask guidelines. Cooper will address those topics during his 3 p.m. press conference–which you can watch in the above video player or on ABC11.
Instead, Cooper praised North Carolinians who already received the vaccine and encouraged them to keep advocating for their friends and family to get vaccinated.
“People who are vaccinated I know are frustrated and mad right now, because they have stepped up and done their part. But I want vaccinated people to encourage the unvaccinated now more than ever. Because vaccinated people can be some of our best messengers.”
Cooper went on to say the only way to finally get back to what life was like before the virus is to get vaccinated.
“It’s time for us to step up and put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror, and we can’t do it until we get more people vaccinated.”
8:45 a.m. President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that millions of federal workers must show proof they’ve received a coronavirus vaccine or submit to regular testing and stringent social distancing, masking and travel restrictions.
An individual familiar with the president’s plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm details that had yet to be announced publicly, emphasized that the new guidance is not a vaccine mandate for federal employees and that those who decide not to get vaccinated aren’t at risk of being fired.
The new policy amounts to a recognition by the Biden administration that the government – the nation’s biggest employer – must do more to boost sluggish vaccination rates, as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rebound, driven largely by the spread of the more infectious delta variant.
THURSDAY MORNING HEADLINES
Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to share new COVID-19 guidelines when he speaks publicly this afternoon at 3.
Coronavirus cases are on the rise in North Carolina and across the country. New research on the highly contagious Delta variant shows even vaccinated people can spread it.
That new research prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its mask guidance–now suggesting that all people wear masks inside in areas where cases are prevalent.
The CDC also now suggests vaccinated people get tested for COVID-19 after they are exposed to a known positive case.
SEE ALSO: Some Triangle businesses reinstate mask mandate as COVID cases surge
But what do these changes mean for North Carolina? That’s what we expect Gov. Cooper to address this afternoon.
Wednesday saw the state confirm more than 2,600 new cases, with a positivity rate at 10.8 percent. That’s the second straight day above 10 percent and the highest daily case count since February.
Health experts continue to stress how important it is to get vaccinated. As the vast majority of all these cases, and even more so the cases that result in hospitalization, are among unvaccinated people.
WATCH: Healthcare worker has message for vaccine-resistant hospital workers
WEDNESDAY 5:15 p.m. North Carolina State University announced that face coverings will be required in classrooms and laboratories for the first three weeks of the semester.
Face masks will not be required outdoors.
In other indoor spaces, those who are vaccinated are the exception to this requirement. The university encourages anyone who has not been fully vaccinated to continue wearing masks indoors and when in close contact with others.
The requirement extends to the campus’ bussing system.
4:30 p.m. Duke University announced all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear face masks in all Duke-owned and leased buildings effective Friday, July 30, until further notice.
The university cited the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in North Carolina related to a combination of the Delta variant and the number of people who remain unvaccinated, as its reasoning. Masks will not be required in on-campus residence halls.
Triangle hospitals say they are seeing an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Dr. Lisa Pickett, chief medical officer at Duke University Hospital, said their numbers are double from what they were two weeks ago.
While they don’t know if patients have the Delta variant since they don’t sequence at the time of admission, they presume many do, since it’s the most prevalent strain in our area, Dr. Pickett said.
WakeMed Health & Hospitals is reporting their COVID inpatient hospitalizations tripled in the last month.
A spokeswoman said more than 92 percent of COVID inpatients are unvaccinated and that the Delta variant is responsible for a spike in cases. She is stressing vaccination and said the comprehensive use of masks and other personal protective equipment inside all of their facilities is helping keeping staff and patients and their families safe.
UNC Health has 150 COVID patients in hospitals. That’s about the same as a year ago and up from about 50 patients a month ago, according to a spokesperson. UNC Health said most of their cases are among the unvaccinated and due to the Delta variant. “A couple of days ago (North Carolina) crossed 1,000 people again for the first time in quite a few months in terms of hospitalized bed numbers and it is baked into the system, that the number is going to go up for at least a couple of weeks,” said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, Duke Health infectious disease specialist, in a virtual news conference Wednesday.
A new Lambda variant was first identified in Peru and some cases have been reported in the U.S. but the World Health Organization doesn’t consider it a variant of concern. It does consider the Delta variant one though.
Q&A: Is it still safe to travel amid rising COVID-19 cases?
“We’re part of a team that works with the people who are doing the genetic surveillance and looking at what other variants are out there,” said Dr. David Montefiori, director of the Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine Research and Development at Duke University Medical Center, in the news conference. “They’re not prevalent enough to be a variant of interest or a variant of concern yet but do they have the potential to escape our vaccines? Does this virus have the ability to completely escape our vaccines? That’s a question that we’re studying and that other people are studying.”
Dr. Wolfe said if you’re outdoors, there’s typically a lower risk of contracting the Delta virus than indoors. He said vaccinations matter and that a mask helps further reduce the spread.
“If your outdoor activity is a spaced out game on the soccer field, in reality your risk is extremely low,” Dr. Wolfe said. “So athletics last year, for example, were very good at going through degrees of proving that in fact on field transmissions were exceptionally uncommon.”
“I think if your situation is an outdoor concert venue where for protracted periods of time, you’re sitting in close proximity, perhaps yelling and screaming at the concert, that risk has gone up,” Dr. Wolfe said. “And the way that it stands at the moment is our chance of having someone in close proximity to you, who has, unbeknownst to them, COVID, has also gone up.”
Montefiori said it’s critical to keep the pandemic under control to keep the virus from mutating and becoming more resistant to vaccines, something routinely seen with influenza strains.
“Every time the virus gets transmitted from one person to another, it has an opportunity to mutate, to change, and so the more we can shut this pandemic down and slow down the spread of the virus, the less opportunities it’s going to have to continue to mutate and change and become more contagious and potentially even escape our vaccines,” he said.
That leads to the question on booster shots and Montefiori said that could be a real possibility.
“I think we’re probably getting very close to a time where we’re going to know if and when a boost is necessary,” he said. “I believe that boosting will be necessary. It’s very likely going to strengthen the immune response against the variants.”
4:25 p.m. The Durham County Department of Public Health will offer COVID-19 vaccines at Durham Academy and Lakewood Shopping Center during the week of July 26, 2021.
When: Thursday, July 29, 4:30pm-6:00pm Where: Durham Academy. 3116 Academy Rd., Durham, NC 27707 Vaccines offered: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson; first & second doses How to be vaccinated: Appointments & walk-ins. Open to all people 12 and older. To schedule an appointment, call 919-560-9217.
When: Saturday, July 31, 5:00pm-8:00pm Where: Lakewood Shopping Center. 2000 Chapel Hill Rd., Durham, NC 27707 Vaccines offered: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson; first & second doses How to be vaccinated: Appointments & walk-ins. Open to all people 12 and older. To schedule an appointment, call 919-560-9217.
2:45 p.m. Pfizer released new data showing its vaccine’s ability to protect against severe illness remains strong six months out. Efficacy against symptomatic disease also remains high, but appears to taper off over time.
Pfizer is using this data to bolster its argument that booster shots are needed six months out.
But the FDA – not the company – will decide if and when booster shots are needed. This data has not yet been peer reviewed.
12:15 p.m. 2,633 new COVID-19 cases were reported in North Carolina on Wednesday. That’s even higher than the count on this day last year — which was 1,805 new cases. This marks the highest daily cases since Feb. 27.
The percent positive in the state is at 10.8%. Tuesday marked the first time over 10% since the end of January. Tuesday’s percent positive was 10.2%.
1,091 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state. Tuesday marked the first day with hospitalizations above 1,000 since May 7.
The number of patients hospitalized has doubled in the last two weeks.
13,606 people have died since the start of the pandemic.
The percent of the adult population that has at least one dose of the vaccine in North Carolina has inched up one percent to 61%.
Despite vaccines declining since early June, the state finally saw an increase last week. Last week, about 94,000 doses were administered. That’s a 17% increase from the week before. Most of the new vaccines were first doses. 17,000 more people got a first dose last week than the week before. 59,000 total people last week got a first dose.
12 p.m. In the last week, the US reported the highest number of new COVID cases in the world, according to the WHO.
For the week of July 19-25, the US reported a 131% increase in new COVID cases, over the previous week, according to the latest WHO epidemiological report.
There were 3.8 million new COVID cases reported worldwide in the last week, an 8% increase over the previous week.
The number of new COVID related deaths increased sharply this week to over 69,000, up 21% from 57,000 last week.
The Americas and European regions are reporting the highest weekly case incidence per capita: 123.3 and 108.3 new cases per 100,000 residents respectively.
10:50 a.m. Anyone working for NCDHHS at state-operated facilities will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 30.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a statement about its decision Wednesday saying the vaccine is the most effective weapon in the fight against the pandemic.
The agency’s decision falls in line with recommendations from the North Carolina Healthcare Association, the American Medical Association and the American Nursing Association.
The full statement is below:
“NCDHHS will require that that all employees, volunteers, students, trainees, as well as contracted and temporary workers working at state-operated facilities be fully vaccinated or receive an approved medical or religious exemption by September 30, 2021. Vaccination for COVID-19 is the most effective prevention against the disease. Over 75% of DSOHF facility staff are vaccinated, with three facilities over 90%. As a health care system, we have a responsibility to protect the patients and residents that we serve – many of whom are at high risk for COVID-19 complications, are without other options for care, and in our care for long periods of time. It is well documented that health care personnel often unintentionally introduce the virus into institutional settings prompting an outbreak. That’s why numerous professional organizations recommend that vaccines be required for all healthcare and long-term care staff, including the North Carolina Healthcare Association and over 50 national groups such the American Medical Association and the American Nursing Association. Rigorous clinical trials among thousands of people ages 12 and older, have proven that vaccines are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19 and virus-related hospitalization and death. More than 160 million Americans have been safely vaccinated.”
9:20 a.m. A third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can “strongly” boost protection against the delta variant — beyond the protection afforded by the standard two doses, suggests new data released by Pfizer on Wednesday.
The data posted online, which are expected to be discussed in a company earnings call on Wednesday morning, suggest that antibody levels against the delta variant in people ages 18 to 55 who receive a third dose of vaccine are greater than five-fold than following a second dose.
9:15 a.m. Dr. Rochelle Walensky says new mask-wearing guidance, coupled with higher rates of vaccination against COVID-19, could halt the current escalation of infections in “a couple of weeks.”
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told “CBS This Morning” she hopes more stringent mask-wearing guidelines and other measures won’t be necessary as the country heads into the fall.
“We can halt the chain of transmission,” she said. “We can do something if we unify together, if we get people vaccinated who are not yet vaccinated, if we mask in the interim, we can halt this in just a matter of a couple of weeks.”
With the delta variant fueling a surge of infections across the country, the CDC on Tuesday recommended even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in areas where the variant is prevalent.
Walensky says the new guidance was prompted by data that vaccinated people can pass on the virus. However, the vast number of infections are occurring in unvaccinated people, she noted. Walensky said 80% of the counties with the highest number of infections have less than 40% of people vaccinated.
The nation is averaging more than 57,000 cases a day and 24,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. The guidance on masks in indoor public places applies in parts of the U.S. with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week.
9 a.m. WakeMed Health & Hospitals has told workers it will require them to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The Raleigh-area hospital system is the leading provider in the state’s second largest county. It has three acute care hospitals and one physical rehabilitation hospital.
The timeline for when the vaccine requirement will take effect has not yet been determined. The move comes amid growing concern of the more contagious delta variant. Several other North Carolina hospital systems have announced plans to compel workers to come in get vaccinated. WakeMed’s vaccine requirement will apply to all employees, providers and volunteers in the “near future.”
8:45 a.m. Duke University announced all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear face masks in all Duke-owned and leased buildings effective Friday, July 30, until further notice.
The university cited the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in North Carolina related to a combination of the Delta variant and the number of people who remain unvaccinated, as its reasoning.
Masks will not be required in on-campus residence halls.
WEDNESDAY MORNING HEADLINES Gov. Roy Cooper and the state’s coronavirus task force will not be issuing an update today as previously planned.
The governor’s office said Tuesday afternoon that the previously planned Wednesday update would be pushed to Thursday.
Meanwhile, Cooper said he is reviewing mask guidance issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC changed its mask recommendations in light of new evidence about the Delta variant of COVID-19.
That variant has become the most dominant form of the virus in the US. The CDC’s new evidence suggests that vaccinated people remain well protected against all forms of COVID-19, including the Delta variant. However, unlike other variants, vaccinated people can still spread the Delta variant.
That’s why the CDC said all people should wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Since the COVID-19 vaccines still provide strong protection against the Delta variant, health officials continue to urge people to get vaccinated.
Many healthcare facilities have begun mandating vaccines for their employees.
President Joe Biden is expected to announce federal employees will be required to be vaccinated or else face “stringent COVID-19 protocols.”
Q&A: With the Delta variant spreading, can vaccinated people feel safe without a mask?
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
9:20 a.m. A third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can “strongly” boost protection against the delta variant — beyond the protection afforded by the standard two doses, suggests new data released by Pfizer on Wednesday.
The data posted online, which are expected to be discussed in a company earnings call on Wednesday morning, suggest that antibody levels against the delta variant in people ages 18 to 55 who receive a third dose of vaccine are greater than five-fold than following a second dose.
9:15 a.m. Dr. Rochelle Walensky says new mask-wearing guidance, coupled with higher rates of vaccination against COVID-19, could halt the current escalation of infections in “a couple of weeks.”
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told “CBS This Morning” she hopes more stringent mask-wearing guidelines and other measures won’t be necessary as the country heads into the fall.
“We can halt the chain of transmission,” she said. “We can do something if we unify together, if we get people vaccinated who are not yet vaccinated, if we mask in the interim, we can halt this in just a matter of a couple of weeks.”
With the delta variant fueling a surge of infections across the country, the CDC on Tuesday recommended even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in areas where the variant is prevalent.
Walensky says the new guidance was prompted by data that vaccinated people can pass on the virus. However, the vast number of infections are occurring in unvaccinated people, she noted. Walensky said 80% of the counties with the highest number of infections have less than 40% of people vaccinated.
The nation is averaging more than 57,000 cases a day and 24,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. The guidance on masks in indoor public places applies in parts of the U.S. with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week.
9 a.m. WakeMed Health & Hospitals has told workers it will require them to get a COVID-19 vaccine if they wish to remain employed. The Raleigh-area hospital system is the leading provider in the state’s second largest county. It has three acute care hospitals and one physical rehabilitation hospital.
The timeline for when the vaccine requirement will take effect has not yet been determined. The move comes amid growing concern of the more contagious delta variant. Several other North Carolina hospital systems have announced plans to compel workers to come in get vaccinated. WakeMed’s vaccine requirement will apply to all employees, providers and volunteers in the “near future.”
8:45 a.m. Duke University announced all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear face masks in all Duke-owned and leased buildings effective Friday, July 30, until further notice.
The university cited the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in North Carolina related to a combination of the Delta variant and the number of people who remain unvaccinated, as its reasoning.
Masks will not be required in on-campus residence halls.
WEDNESDAY MORNING HEADLINES
Gov. Roy Cooper and the state’s coronavirus task force will not be issuing an update today as previously planned.
The governor’s office said Tuesday afternoon that the previously planned Wednesday update would be pushed to Thursday.
Meanwhile, Cooper said he is reviewing mask guidance issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC changed its mask recommendations in light of new evidence about the Delta variant of COVID-19.
That variant has become the most dominant form of the virus in the US. The CDC’s new evidence suggests that vaccinated people remain well protected against all forms of COVID-19, including the Delta variant. However, unlike other variants, vaccinated people can still spread the Delta variant.
That’s why the CDC said all people should wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Since the COVID-19 vaccines still provide strong protection against the Delta variant, health officials continue to urge people to get vaccinated.
Many healthcare facilities have begun mandating vaccines for their employees.
President Joe Biden is expected to announce federal employees will be required to be vaccinated or else face “stringent COVID-19 protocols.”
TUESDAY 7:02 p.m. ABC News has confirmed, via sources familiar with the discussion, that President Joe Biden will likely announce Thursday that federal employees will be required to be vaccinated or else they must abide by “stringent COVID-19 protocols like mandatory mask wearing — even in communities not with high or substantial spread — and regular testing.”
The sources caution that at this point no decision has been finalized.
The federal government is the nation’s largest employer – 2.1 million workers and this would therefore be the largest vaccine mandate by a single employer of this pandemic.
This also represents a major policy shift from the White House. Since day one — this administration has publicly said it was opposed to vaccine mandates like this – preferring to leave it up to individual employers and local governments.
6:39 p.m. House Speaker Tim Moore reacted to news that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities (DSOHF) will now require employees at all state healthcare facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30.
“I have personally been vaccinated against COVID-19, and I have done my best to help educate the public and urge others to get vaccinated if they choose to do so,” Moore said. “But at the end of the day, the decision whether or not to vaccinate is a personal one and should be made between a doctor and patient. North Carolinians will not be bullied into being vaccinated against their will, particularly with a vaccine that has yet to be approved by the FDA.”
All DSOHF employees who are not fully vaccinated by the deadline will “be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, for unacceptable personal conduct.”
“Our healthcare workers are certainly capable of weighing the risks and benefits and can make their own decision about the vaccine,” Moore said. “This mandate could force healthcare workers to choose between their employment and their conscience. Now is not the time to risk losing any of our healthcare workers who have been at the front lines of this pandemic.”
6:07 p.m. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, criticized the updated mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Americans who have already been vaccinated, saying the flip=flop could increase vaccine hesitancy.
“Since last year, I’ve been telling North Carolinians that vaccines are the most effective tool we have to return to life as normal and the scientific data has shown that to be true, with 94% of North Carolina cases and 97% of all U.S. hospitalizations occurring among the unvaccinated population,” Tillis said. “I am deeply concerned that the Biden administration’s contradictory decision will cause even more vaccine hesitancy, giving many Americans the false impression that the vaccines are not as effective as they were originally told. The data shows that fully vaccinated Americans are at a very low risk of a breakthrough infection and are at an incredibly low risk of serious complications. The promise of the vaccine was to protect Americans from the worst outcomes and allow them to return to life as normal. Now many local and state governments across the nation are bound to reimplement restrictions and mask mandates, even for Americans who are fully vaccinated.”
The CCD reversed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Citing new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
“The Biden administration apparently doesn’t trust the science, and they clearly don’t trust the American people to take personal responsibility for their own choices,” Tillis said.
5:45 p.m. The CDC late Tuesday issued a health alert to doctors on the need to increase vaccinations “to prevent surges in new infections” that could “overwhelm healthcare capacity” and increase death toll.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network Health Advisory to notify public health practitioners and clinicians about the urgent need to increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage (i.e., the percentage of the population fully vaccinated) across the United States to prevent surges in new infections that could increase COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality, overwhelm healthcare capacity, and widen existing COVID-19-related health disparities,” it said.
4 p.m. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Citing new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Many counties in North Carolina have high levels of community transmission, according to the CDC.
Q&A: What the CDC mask guidance change means for you
3:30 p.m. Gov. Roy Cooper’s office issued a reaction after the CDC reversed course on mask quidance.
“The more contagious Delta variant that is spreading almost entirely among unvaccinated people is concerning. The COVID-19 vaccines remain safe and effective in combatting this virus, and they are the best weapon we have to fight the Delta variant or other strains. Most all of the people getting sick and dying now are unvaccinated and that is why the Governor is pulling out all the stops to get as many people as possible to get their shots. The Governor and state health officials will review changes to CDC guidance and he strongly encourages schools and businesses to enact important safety precautions and unvaccinated people to wear masks until they get their shots,” said Mary Scott Winstead, Deputy Communications Director for Cooper’s office.
Senator Thom Tillis issued the following statement: “Since last year, I’ve been telling North Carolinians that vaccines are the most effective tool we have to return to life as normal and the scientific data has shown that to be true, with 94% of North Carolina cases and 97% of all U.S. hospitalizations occurring among the unvaccinated population. I am deeply concerned that the Biden administration’s contradictory decision will cause even more vaccine hesitancy, giving many Americans the false impression that the vaccines are not as effective as they were originally told. The data shows that fully vaccinated Americans are at a very low risk of a breakthrough infection and are at an incredibly low risk of serious complications. The promise of the vaccine was to protect Americans from the worst outcomes and allow them to return to life as normal. Now many local and state governments across the nation are bound to reimplement restrictions and mask mandates, even for Americans who are fully vaccinated. The Biden administration apparently doesn’t trust the science, and they clearly don’t trust the American people to take personal responsibility for their own choices.”
12:15 p.m. 1,603 new COVID-19 cases were reported in North Carolina on Tuesday.
The percent of positive tests jumped to 10.4%, the highest the state has seen since early April.
1,031 are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19. That’s the first time hospitalizations have surpassed 1,000 since May 7.
13,590 people have died since the start of the pandemic.
60% of the adult population has at least one dose of the vaccine.
“This virus is still here and, if you’re unvaccinated, still deadly,” Gov. Cooper tweeted on Tuesday. “Talking to our friends and family about getting a shot is the best way to stop the spread.”
“This moment now is different than the last time we experienced rising trends,” Dr. Mandy Cohen said Tuesday in a statement. “Now vaccines are widely available across the state and 60 percent of North Carolina adults have received at least one dose of vaccine. 94% of the cases and hospitalizations we have now are in people who are not vaccinated. The Delta variant is not formidable. Vaccines are the best way to protest your health.”
10:25 a.m. The nation’s top health agency is expected to backpedal Tuesday on its masking guidelines and recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging, according to a federal official.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to release the data.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to announce the decision at a 3 p.m. Tuesday.
TUESDAY MORNING HEADLINES People with lingering COVID-19 symptoms could get help from the Americans with Disabilities Act.
President Joe Biden marked the 31st anniversary of the law by saying some long haul COVID symptoms, such as breathing problems, chronic pain and fatigue, could rise to the level of a disability.
“We’re bringing agencies together to make sure Americans with long COVID, who have a disability, have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law,” Biden said.
In North Carolina, the state health department released new guidance that includes accommodations in the workplace, school and heath care facilities for Americans with long COVID.
Biden’s announcement could help people like Monica McGhee. She’s a healthcare worker from Person County who continues to live with the lingering effects of COVID-19.
“Your taste is never the same; feeling tired all the time. It’s been a challenge. I believe I have developed anxiety because of COVID, because I was so scared,” McGhee said.
In order to qualify for special accommodations, long haulers would have to be assessed by a doctor.
This all comes as COVID cases continue to rise. Nationally, cases are up more than 300 percent since mid-June.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now categorizing the country as having “high” community transmission.
The number of people in the hospital is also rising, up nearly 37 percent in the past week–with the vast majority of those people being unvaccinated.
“I’m worried it will get much worse. Right now we’re generating 50,000 Americans getting infected. That could easily double or triple,” Dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health Dr. Ashish Jha said.
Q&A: With the Delta variant spreading, can vaccinated people feel safe without a mask?
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
7:02 p.m. ABC News has confirmed, via sources familiar with the discussion, that President Joe Biden will likely announce Thursday that federal employees will be required to be vaccinated or else they must abide by “stringent COVID-19 protocols like mandatory mask wearing — even in communities not with high or substantial spread — and regular testing.”
The sources caution that at this point no decision has been finalized.
The federal government is the nation’s largest employer – 2.1 million workers and this would therefore be the largest vaccine mandate by a single employer of this pandemic.
This also represents a major policy shift from the White House. Since day one — this administration has publicly said it was opposed to vaccine mandates like this – preferring to leave it up to individual employers and local governments.
6:39 p.m. House Speaker Tim Moore reacted to news that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities (DSOHF) will now require employees at all state healthcare facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30.
“I have personally been vaccinated against COVID-19, and I have done my best to help educate the public and urge others to get vaccinated if they choose to do so,” Moore said. “But at the end of the day, the decision whether or not to vaccinate is a personal one and should be made between a doctor and patient. North Carolinians will not be bullied into being vaccinated against their will, particularly with a vaccine that has yet to be approved by the FDA.”
All DSOHF employees who are not fully vaccinated by the deadline will “be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, for unacceptable personal conduct.”
“Our healthcare workers are certainly capable of weighing the risks and benefits and can make their own decision about the vaccine,” Moore said. “This mandate could force healthcare workers to choose between their employment and their conscience. Now is not the time to risk losing any of our healthcare workers who have been at the front lines of this pandemic.”
6:07 p.m. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, criticized the updated mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Americans who have already been vaccinated, saying the flip=flop could increase vaccine hesitancy.
“Since last year, I’ve been telling North Carolinians that vaccines are the most effective tool we have to return to life as normal and the scientific data has shown that to be true, with 94% of North Carolina cases and 97% of all U.S. hospitalizations occurring among the unvaccinated population,” Tillis said. “I am deeply concerned that the Biden administration’s contradictory decision will cause even more vaccine hesitancy, giving many Americans the false impression that the vaccines are not as effective as they were originally told. The data shows that fully vaccinated Americans are at a very low risk of a breakthrough infection and are at an incredibly low risk of serious complications. The promise of the vaccine was to protect Americans from the worst outcomes and allow them to return to life as normal. Now many local and state governments across the nation are bound to reimplement restrictions and mask mandates, even for Americans who are fully vaccinated.”
The CCD reversed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Citing new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
“The Biden administration apparently doesn’t trust the science, and they clearly don’t trust the American people to take personal responsibility for their own choices,” Tillis said.
5:45 p.m. The CDC late Tuesday issued a health alert to doctors on the need to increase vaccinations “to prevent surges in new infections” that could “overwhelm healthcare capacity” and increase death toll.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network Health Advisory to notify public health practitioners and clinicians about the urgent need to increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage (i.e., the percentage of the population fully vaccinated) across the United States to prevent surges in new infections that could increase COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality, overwhelm healthcare capacity, and widen existing COVID-19-related health disparities,” it said.
4 p.m. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging.
Citing new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Many counties in North Carolina have high levels of community transmission, according to the CDC.
Q&A: What the CDC mask guidance change means for you
3:30 p.m. Gov. Roy Cooper’s office issued a reaction after the CDC reversed course on mask quidance.
“The more contagious Delta variant that is spreading almost entirely among unvaccinated people is concerning. The COVID-19 vaccines remain safe and effective in combatting this virus, and they are the best weapon we have to fight the Delta variant or other strains. Most all of the people getting sick and dying now are unvaccinated and that is why the Governor is pulling out all the stops to get as many people as possible to get their shots. The Governor and state health officials will review changes to CDC guidance and he strongly encourages schools and businesses to enact important safety precautions and unvaccinated people to wear masks until they get their shots,” said Mary Scott Winstead, Deputy Communications Director for Cooper’s office.
Senator Thom Tillis issued the following statement: “Since last year, I’ve been telling North Carolinians that vaccines are the most effective tool we have to return to life as normal and the scientific data has shown that to be true, with 94% of North Carolina cases and 97% of all U.S. hospitalizations occurring among the unvaccinated population. I am deeply concerned that the Biden administration’s contradictory decision will cause even more vaccine hesitancy, giving many Americans the false impression that the vaccines are not as effective as they were originally told. The data shows that fully vaccinated Americans are at a very low risk of a breakthrough infection and are at an incredibly low risk of serious complications. The promise of the vaccine was to protect Americans from the worst outcomes and allow them to return to life as normal. Now many local and state governments across the nation are bound to reimplement restrictions and mask mandates, even for Americans who are fully vaccinated. The Biden administration apparently doesn’t trust the science, and they clearly don’t trust the American people to take personal responsibility for their own choices.”
12:15 p.m. 1,603 new COVID-19 cases were reported in North Carolina on Tuesday.
The percent of positive tests jumped to 10.4%, the highest the state has seen since early April.
1,031 are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19. That’s the first time hospitalizations have surpassed 1,000 since May 7.
13,590 people have died since the start of the pandemic.
60% of the adult population has at least one dose of the vaccine.
“This virus is still here and, if you’re unvaccinated, still deadly,” Gov. Cooper tweeted on Tuesday. “Talking to our friends and family about getting a shot is the best way to stop the spread.”
“This moment now is different than the last time we experienced rising trends,” Dr. Mandy Cohen said Tuesday in a statement. “Now vaccines are widely available across the state and 60 percent of North Carolina adults have received at least one dose of vaccine. 94% of the cases and hospitalizations we have now are in people who are not vaccinated. The Delta variant is not formidable. Vaccines are the best way to protest your health.”
10:25 a.m. The nation’s top health agency is expected to backpedal Tuesday on its masking guidelines and recommend that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging, according to a federal official.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to release the data.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to announce the decision at a 3 p.m. Tuesday.
TUESDAY MORNING HEADLINES People with lingering COVID-19 symptoms could get help from the Americans with Disabilities Act.
President Joe Biden marked the 31st anniversary of the law by saying some long haul COVID symptoms, such as breathing problems, chronic pain and fatigue, could rise to the level of a disability.
“We’re bringing agencies together to make sure Americans with long COVID, who have a disability, have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law,” Biden said.
In North Carolina, the state health department released new guidance that includes accommodations in the workplace, school and heath care facilities for Americans with long COVID.
Biden’s announcement could help people like Monica McGhee. She’s a healthcare worker from Person County who continues to live with the lingering effects of COVID-19.
“Your taste is never the same; feeling tired all the time. It’s been a challenge. I believe I have developed anxiety because of COVID, because I was so scared,” McGhee said.
In order to qualify for special accommodations, long haulers would have to be assessed by a doctor.
This all comes as COVID cases continue to rise. Nationally, cases are up more than 300 percent since mid-June.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now categorizing the country as having “high” community transmission.
The number of people in the hospital is also rising, up nearly 37 percent in the past week–with the vast majority of those people being unvaccinated.
“I’m worried it will get much worse. Right now we’re generating 50,000 Americans getting infected. That could easily double or triple,” Dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health Dr. Ashish Jha said.
Q&A: With the Delta variant spreading, can vaccinated people feel safe without a mask?
MONDAY 9:30 p.m. Experts agree that breakthrough cases are going to happen. They’re expected. But, still very rare.
More than 156 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of those people, approximately 153,000 of them have contracted symptomatic breakthrough cases of COVID-19. Breakthrough cases represent 0.098% of those fully vaccinated, according to an unpublished internal CDC document obtained by ABC News.
Duke University’s Hospital Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lisa Pickett, spoke to ABC11 on Monday, about the breakthrough cases that physicians are seeing at the medical campus in Durham.
“We are aware of some breakthrough cases. The very good news is that very few of those are severe. Generally speaking, we’re only seeing (breakthrough cases) in those who are immuno-compromised — cancer patients, transplant patients. But it’s very rare that patients have significant disease after full vaccination,” Pickett said.
The evidence of the data bolsters the case that the vast majority of those becoming severely ill are unvaccinated people and the risk to vaccinated people is dramatically less.
The big takeaway from experts is that no vaccine can provide 100% protection. But they are still very effective at preventing severe illness and death.
Reporting by ABC11’s Joel Brown
4:15 p.m. Dr. Nerissa Price, a psychiatrist with WakeMed, said the shifting recommendations around COVID-19 safety measures have caused anxiety in her patients and she is concerned about what new mask guidance could mean.
“It feels for a lot of individuals like it’s two steps forward and three steps back,” said Price. “Going back to wearing masks feels like maybe we’re losing the battle. I think for others it offers them support because they’re concerned about the virulent nature of this Delta variant and having that mask adds extra protection.”
Price urged health officials they would need to be clear, consistent, and transparent in their messaging around why it’s important to mask up once again.
For people who are struggling with anxiety, Price reminds them that wearing a mask is within their control.
“A lot of times with anxiety the issue is that people feel like they don’t have control,” she said. “But this is something in our control. This is something we can do for ourselves and for other people.”
Concerned about the mental health crisis coinciding with the ongoing pandemic, Price is also worried about suicide and overdose rates as well as random violence that happens if people who need help don’t have access to mental health services.
“I would hope that part of what our leaders do in addition to asking for things from the community to wear masks– that we provide access to mental health resources as well so that people can really manage these types of massive changes,” Price said.
4:10 p.m. The Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo is canceled for Aug 1.
“We are not able to do temperature checks at this open event, so we have to assume that there could be highly contagious individuals in the crowd with the new Delta variant,” organizers said on Facebook. “Because of the rapid surge of the Delta Variant, we will be looking to Sept 26th event date as the first event. This will ensure that we have time to take into account the new challenges. Please let others know of the cancellation and to keep an eye out for Sept 26th. We are working on a limited budget which prevents paid promotion efforts.”
3:30 p.m. The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines, as the aggressive delta variant spreads and some communities report troubling increases in hospitalizations among unvaccinated people.
The VA’s move came on a day when nearly 60 leading medical and health care organizations issued a call for health care facilities to require their workers to get vaccinated.
1:54 p.m. On Thursday, the Moore County Health Department will be offering COVID-19 vaccinations at West End Presbyterian Church at 275 Knox Lane in West End at the Crawford Center.
The event is open to the public and runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with no appointment required.
Anyone age 12-17 seeking a COVID-19 vaccination must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who can provide consent.
The Moore County Health Department at 705 Pinehurst Avenue in Carthage, continues to offer weekly COVID-19 vaccine clinics. Appointments can be made by calling (910) 947-SHOT (7468) Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and walk-ins will also be accepted on vaccine clinic days, which are held each Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.and from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m
12:40 p.m. North Carolina’s latest County Alert System map shows viral spread is increasing rapidly in the state. There is one red county, 12 orange counties, 41 yellow counties, 41 light yellow counties, and 5 green counties. 40 counties have moved up a tier since July 8.
Cumberland, Hoke, Lee and Sampson counties are orange.
Richmond County is red.
Wake and Durham counties are yellow.
12 p.m. The resurgence of COVID-19 continues in North Carolina.
On Saturday, the number of single-day new cases surpassed 2,000 — with 2,133 new COVID-19 cases reported in the state. That’s the highest since April 30.
1,910 new cases were reported Sunday and 1,401 new cases were reported Monday morning.
On Friday, NCDHHS said North Carolina had experienced a 66% increase in cases from the week prior.
The percent of positive tests is at 8.6%. That’s the highest it has been since early April.
943 people are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19. One week ago, 612 people were hospitalized.
Hospitalizations have more than doubled since July 9 and are at the highest rate they have been since May.
60% of the adult population of North Carolina has at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 57% is fully vaccinated.
13,580 have died since the start of the pandemic.
Take a look at the metrics for yourself at this website.
10:40 a.m. New York City will require all of its municipal workers – including teachers and police officers – to get coronavirus vaccines by mid-September or face weekly COVID-19 testing.
The rule is expected to affect about 340,000 city employees, making the city one of the largest employers in the U.S. to take such action.
While it isn’t a vaccine mandate, officials hope the inconvenience and discomfort of weekly tests will persuade many to overcome a reluctance to get inoculated.
More on this story here.
10:25 a.m. The American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association have joined up with over 50 other health care organizations to call for mandatory vaccinations for their industry, citing the rising case rates and the Delta variant as reasons.
“Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective vaccines, our health care organizations and societies advocate that all health care and long-term care employers require their workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” the organizations wrote in a joint statement on Monday morning.
UNC Health, Duke Health and other North Carolina hospitals announced last week that they would be mandating vaccinations for healthcare workers.
10:20 a.m. Orange County announced that it extended the local COVID-19 related State of Emergency declaration indefinitely, The extension went into effect Friday, July 23, at 5 p.m.
This comes as hospitalizations are increasing and the Delta variant is spreading.
Orange County officials said most of the new cases there are amongst unvaccinated individuals and are caused by the rapidly spreading Delta variant.
MONDAY MORNING HEADLINES
With soaring COVID-19 cases, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is once again considering a change to its mask guidance.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said the CDC is discussing the possibility of renewing the call for a mask mandate.
The vast majority of new cases and serious complications from COVID-19 are among people who are not fully vaccinated.
With more than 156 million Americans fully vaccinated, nationwide, approximately 153,000 symptomatic breakthrough cases are estimated to have occurred as of last week, representing approximately 0.098% of those fully vaccinated, according to an unpublished internal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document obtained by ABC News. These estimates reflect only the adult population and do not include asymptomatic breakthrough infections.
“While anecdotal cases and clusters can conjure concern around the vaccine, when put in the larger context of how many people have been vaccinated and the sheer volume of cases in the unvaccinated population, we recognize that the vaccines are working and how rare breakthroughs actually are,” said Dr. John Brownstein, the chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.
New research suggests the pandemic has thrown our sleep schedules off.
A recent survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that more than half of Americans have had a hard time sleeping since the pandemic began.
Dr. Shelby Harris said the following seven words can help improve your sleep: No screens, wind down, have a routine.
FRIDAY 6 p.m. Wake County officials are making yet another push to increase the county’s vaccination rate.
Health officials are expanding the county’s vaccine outreach program by launching a door-to-door canvassing event.
“It was pretty surprising. I wasn’t planning on getting it anytime soon. But my family they were telling me I had the opportunity right now, so I got it,” said Kobin Flores Aguilar, a teenager who received his vaccine from the door-to-door canvassing.
He acknowledged hesitancy in getting his shot, which he did with his younger sister.
“Because they said (the vaccine) was new, I was worried about some bad side effects,” said Flores Aguilar, who added that he planned on sharing his experience with friends.
His father, David Flores, was hospitalized with COVID-19 last year.
“Really, really bad. It’s bad because you think that your life is gone. That’s why I tell people to get the vaccine because it’s very important,” Flores said.
He’s encouraging others to get vaccinated.
“I told my neighbor, we were talking yesterday about this. I was surprised (the canvassers were here) today. Ad she’s coming. Maybe she’ll get it today,” said Flores.
Canvassers targeted underserved areas; while about 70% of the eligible population in Wake County has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, there are some areas where rates are closer to 30%.
“I am concerned that this could be the starting of a road we don’t want to go down again. And that’s why it’s so important to get the message out, to find solutions to barriers, and to get shots in arms,” said Dr. Nerissa Price, the Medical Director of WakeMed’s Behavioral Health Community Case Management Team.
Friday, there were nearly 2,000 new cases, about four times higher than two weeks ago. Over that time period, hospitalizations have nearly doubled, and the test positivity rate is more than twice as high.
The value of personal connections in convincing vaccine-hesitant individuals playing out, both in canvassing efforts and at a pop-up event at the Wilder’s Grove Shopping Center in Raleigh. That’s where Charles Lotson was early Friday afternoon, after speaking with two family members.
“I trust them. I trust their word. So if they say it’s good, I’m still going to be scared, but I’m going to do it,” Lotson said.
In North Carolina, disparities in vaccine demographics are evident. While 23% of the state’s population is Black, the community comprises only about 17% of vaccinations. There’s a smaller gap in the Hispanic community, which accounts for 10% of the state’s population, but only 8% of vaccinations.
Price highlighted the importance of a diverse staff, working to bridge the gap.
“Having that instant credibility because they know that they speak the language or that they understand the concerns of the community, it’s amazing how quickly change their attitude,” Price said.
Reporting by ABC11’s Michael Perchick
12:15 p.m. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,998 new COVID-19 cases Friday, the highest single-day increase since April 30. 6.7% of tests are positive.
The number of North Carolinians hospitalized with COVID-19 rose for the 13th-straight day to 817, the highest in more than two months.
The spike in cases came with a stern warning in a press release from NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen. “Unvaccinated North Carolinians are unnecessarily getting sick, being hospitalized and dying,” she said. “Don’t wait to vaccinate. And if you haven’t gotten your shot, you need to wear a mask indoors at all times when you are in public spaces.”
Cohen said more than 94% of recent North Carolina COVID-19 cases are in patients who are not fully vaccinated against the virus.
FRIDAY MORNING HEADLINES Wake County officials are making yet another push to increase the county’s vaccination rate.
Health officials are expanding the county’s vaccine outreach program by launching a door-to-door canvassing event.
“It’s important for us to reach everybody who may not have access to be able to come to us; whether it’s transportation or time time or anything like that. So we try to make a very convenient for folks who are already out and about,” nurse Laura Schiada said.
Wake County’s eligible population has about a 70 percent vaccine rate–relatively high for the state and county. However, there are still areas in the county where the rate is much lower.
Canvassers will be out in those lower vaccination rate neighborhoods to pass out information and request forms. They will not be doing home vaccinations at this time.
In addition, a free vaccine event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of Hamricks at the Wilders Grove Shopping Center.
“(The vaccine) is new and not knowing everything–but I figured it was safer to get it, because I actually caught COVID in April and I didn’t like the way I felt. So I don’t wanna go through that again,” Dionne Oden said after getting vaccinated at the clinic.
Meanwhile, with cases increasing across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sticking to its mask guidance.
The CDC says only unvaccinated people need to wear a mask when out in public. Director Rochelle Walensky called it an “individual choice” for fully vaccinated people to still mask up.
A CDC advisory panel also issued new guidance on vaccine booster shots, saying a booster appears to help people with compromised immune systems who are more likely to get a breakthrough infection but are not necessary.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Here are the latest updates about COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in North Carolina.
SUNDAY
9:40 a.m. Cape Fear Valley Health’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics are now open to frontline essential workers, including all of Group 3.
Due to high turnout of local childcare school workers combined with decreasing demand in other eligible groups, Cape Fear Valley Health is moving forward with the next phase, ahead of schedule.
“This is a very broad category that includes most workers, if they are working in-person with others or the public,” said Chris Tart, PharmD, Vice President of Professional Services at Cape Fear Valley Health. “If you’re not sure whether your job fits in this category, we encourage you to go online to www.capefearvalley.com/covid19 to schedule your vaccination and find what group you fit in.”
NCDHHS defines “frontline essential workers” as people who must be in-person at their place of work and work in one of the eight essential sectors including: education, critical manufacturing, essential goods, food and agriculture, government and community Services, health care and public health, public safety and transportation. Any frontline essential workers ages 18 and older are now eligible as part of Group 3 to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from one of Cape Fear Valley Health’s vaccination clinics, in addition to individuals in Groups 1 and 2 – healthcare and long-term care workers and anyone aged 65 and older.
7:20 a.m. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there have been 28,554,724 COVID-19 cases in the United States since the pandemic began.
SATURDAY 6:15 p.m. The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.
FDA advisers sign off on Johnson & Johnson vaccine: Here’s what happens next
12:05 p.m. North Carolina is reporting 2,643 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 858,548.
There have been 26 deaths due to the virus, bringing the total of deaths to 11,212.
Throughout the state, there are 1,414 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. That is 51 down from Friday,
The state’s percent positive test rate 5.4%, which is up slightly from Friday’s 4.7%.
There will be no NCDHHS COVID-19 dashboard update on Sunday, Feb. 28.
7:25 a.m. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 28,486,562 COVID-19 cases throughout the United States.
Fauci warns progress in COVID fight appears to have stalled
Overnight, the House approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill that was championed by President Joe Biden, the first step in providing another dose of aid to a weary nation as the measure now moves to a tense Senate.
The overall relief bill would provide $1,400 payments to individuals, extend emergency unemployment benefits through August and increase tax credits for children and federal subsidies for health insurance.
MORE: Highlights of the COVID relief bill as it heads to the Senate
FRIDAY 6:26 p.m. The Chatham County Public Health Department began vaccinating Pre-K-12 teachers and staff and child care workers ages 45 and older against COVID-19 during a mass vaccination clinic at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center in Pittsboro.
Along with 20 doses administered Thursday, the 560 doses administered Friday brought the CCPHD’s total to more than 4,000 doses of the COVID-19 since vaccinations began in early January. Well over half of the doses have been given to people 65 and older.
“We are honored to be able to continue to vaccinate healthcare workers and older adults while also serving Chatham County’s school and child care staff,” said Chatham County Public Health Director Mike Zelek. “We have all benefited from the hard work and dedication of these teachers and staff, both at the child care and PreK-12 level, and to vaccinate them against COVID-19 is the least we can do to repay them for their service.”
According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) COVID-19 vaccination database, 14,660 Chatham County residents had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine through Feb. 25, accounting for 19.7% of the county’s population. Additionally, 9,551 Chatham residents have received their second dose, representing 12.8% of the population. Both of these percentages are among the highest in the state.
The CCPHD is anticipating receiving 600 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine next week in the second installment of a three-week guaranteed allocation from NCDHHS. These doses will be used at future vaccination events.
The CCPHD’s upcoming COVID vaccination event schedule includes:
Monday: First and second doses for Groups 1 and 2, and first doses for PreK-12 staff and child care workers
Friday: Second doses for individuals that received their first doses during the Feb. 5 event at Roberts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Goldston
5 p.m. Many COVID-19 restrictions placed upon bars, restaurants and many other venues are now at ease for the first time in a year.
Read the loosening of restrictions here.
4:55 p.m. The Lee County Government Health Department announced that it will expand vaccine registration to include all individuals in Group 3 of the North Carolina vaccine rollout plan beginning Monday.
People will be allowed to register but they will not receive vaccine until or after March 10.
The health department also reported that six county residents have died of COVID-19 related complications. This raises the total number of COVID-19 deaths confirmed in Lee County to 73 since the first case was reported in March.
4:32 p.m. Orange County has a total of 7,623 cases, including 156 in the past seven days. In all, 93 COVID-19 related deaths have occurred in the county.
3:40 p.m. The Moore County Health Department has been notified of the deaths of two Moore County residents whose deaths were determined to be related to COVID-19 infection.
The two are both men older than 75. In total, 166 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in Moore County.
Of the deaths, 92 are linked to outbreaks in long-term care facilities.
2:53 p.m. The Durham County Department of Public Health has closed its online scheduling system effective immediately as the health department explores “new online options.”
Appointments already scheduled through the online booking system are not expected to be canceled, but people who have scheduled these appointments will be contacted with more information.
“With our original booking system, there were challenges in ensuring we’d have sufficient supply to meet the number of appointments scheduled,” said Health Director Rod Jenkins. “Because supply remains uncertain, and upon the recommendation of the State, we hope to move toward an online scheduling system that allows us to more easily book appointments that are in line with the vaccine supply we have been guaranteed.”
When public scheduling reopens, the health department said it expects to provide appointment options no more than two weeks in advance of the appointment date. New scheduling processes will also aim to ensure appointments are only filed by individuals who are currently eligible to be vaccinated, the department said.
“With the old online system, our team was spending time canceling appointments for individuals who were ineligible to be vaccinated or who had already received vaccinations elsewhere. Fortunately, our waitlist was in place and allowed us to fill large numbers of appointments that became available on short notice, but we are always looking for ways to make our processes faster and more efficient,” Jenkins said. “When we are able to provide a new online booking option, we will prioritize making sure our appointments are filled only by individuals who still need them and are eligible to receive them.”
Also, the department’s scheduling phone line remains closed for public use because of limited vaccine supply. A reopening date has not been determined.
Durham will continue to use its waitlist to notify people of doses that become available because of appointment cancellations, no-shows, or other last-minute vaccine availability.
2:44 p.m. The Halifax County Health Department reports 20 new cases for a total of 4,992 positive COVID 19 cases. One additional death was reported for a total of 97.
2:25 p.m. The Durham VA Health Care System said it just received authorization to expand which veterans are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. This means the COVID-19 Vaccine is available for more veterans.
There are 800 first-dose appointment slots available for the VA’s Veteran Vaccination Blitz event this weekend to be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Veterans should call (919) 286-0411 then press “0” to speak with the operator to determine eligibility and schedule their appointments. Veterans who schedule their first-dose appointments this weekend should plan to attend their second-dose appointments on March 20 in Durham.
Veterans are required to be enrolled in the Durham VA Health Care System to be vaccinated but it is not required that you receive care through the Durham Medical Center to be vaccinated in Durham. Any eligible veteran who has transportation to Durham can schedule an appointment.
2:04 p.m. Sampson County reports 103 new cases, more than double the previous day, for a total of 6,922 positive test results. The death toll remains at 91 countywide.
There is a drive-through vaccination clinic planned for Saturday for childcare and grade-school employees at the Sampson County Expo Center from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. This is a first-dose vaccination event. Participants are encouraged to bring their teacher IDs or another form of employee identification. Vaccines will be available as supply allows.
12:25 p.m. Friday’s report from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services included 2,924 newly-reported COVID-19 cases. There were a total of 1,465 hospitalizations.
The daily percent positive rate was 4.7%, a slight increase from yesterday’s 4.5%.
Sadly, 11,186 deaths have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
11:16 a.m. Wake County Public Health has confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 at Spring Arbor of Raleigh, an assisted living and memory care facility located at 1810 New Hope Road.
This is the first outbreak at this facility.
8:18 a.m. Cumberland County continues to offer free drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinics for those in Groups 1, 2 and the first sector of Group 3. An online application form now allows individuals to choose their own appointment date and time for the first dose of the vaccine.
Individuals from Group 3 who are now eligible include workers in PreK-12 schools (public, charter, private/non-public schools) and childcare settings only.
All County clinics take place at the Crown Expo Center (1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville NC). Appointments are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Standby lane (first-come, first-served in eligible groups) opens on Fridays, from 3 to 5 p.m., or as supplies last.
Tuesdays: 2nd dose appointment only. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No standby lane
Wednesdays: 1st and 2nd doses appointment only. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No standby lane
Fridays: 1st dose only. Appointments from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Standby lane from 3 to 5 p.m. for individuals eligible in Groups 1, 2, and 3 (childcare/Pre-K-12 school staff) only.
Anyone who has received their first dose at the Crown Expo Center on or before Jan. 26 should request an appointment for their second dose or use the standby lane. Individuals who received their first dose at the Crown Expo Center on or after Jan. 27 are automatically scheduled for their second dose and do not need to request an appointment.
FRIDAY MORNING HEADLINES Some COVID-19 restrictions in North Carolina will be lifted at 5 p.m. today.
Restaurants, gyms and stores will be able to open past 10 p.m., and alcohol sales can take place up to 11 p.m.–which is two hours later than the current curfew.
Bars, movie theaters and smaller venues can operate at 30 percent capacity. Gyms, restaurants, museums, pools and outdoor amusement parks can open at 50 percent capacity. Big indoor sporting and entertainment venues–like PNC Arena and the Dean E. Smith Center–can open at 15 percent capacity.
WATCH: Gov. Cooper explains decision to lift COVID-19 restrictions
Plus, another COVID-19 vaccine could be authorized for emergency use today.
The Federal Drug Administration will have a hearing on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If approved, the company said it could ship up to 4 million doses Monday.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single-dose vaccine and it does not require ultra-cold storage.
If approved, health experts said the three vaccines should account for enough doses to vaccinate 130 million adults–or about half of the US population.
THURSDAY 9:45 p.m. Cumberland County Schools – 43% of its 8,000 full-time and part-time employees have been vaccinated. At this rate, Director Of Health Services Shirley Bolden believes every employee who wants a vaccine will get one before their March 15 in-person start date.
Durham Public Schools’ officials tell Eyewitness News 422 doses were given out to employees on Thursday.
Johnston County has vaccinated more than 2,000 of their more than 5,000 staff.
ABC11 reached out to Moore, Hoke, and Harnett County schools for numbers; we’re still awaiting a response.
Sampson County Schools has had a few dozen teachers get vaccinated with more than 500 signed up. Health care officials will hold a drive-thru vaccination clinic for this new group on Saturday morning at the Sampson County Expo Center.
5 p.m. Wake County plans to announce updated spectator guidelines sometime next week that are in line with Governor Cooper’s ease of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic
The update follows after calls for increased outdoor sports viewing count. As of Wednesday, one petition making rounds in the state has 45,000 signatures.
In the meantime, Wake County sports officials will continue to work on guidelines and keep attendance capped at 100 for outdoor events and 25 for indoor events.
4 p.m.
Starting this weekend, UNC will welcome back its fans with 30 percent capacity at outdoor stadiums and 15% for indoor stadiums with at least 5,000 seats.
This means, starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, a limited number of fans will be able to spectate UNC Men’s Basketball, Baseball, Women’s Lacrosse and Men’s Lacrosse games this weekend.
6 p.m. After months of waiting, 63-year-old Perry Tharrington is one of the first public school teachers in Durham to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.
“I feel unbelievable. I feel relieved,” said Tharrington. He is a special needs teacher with the district and has a chronic health condition.
The shot makes him feel more comfortable going back into the classroom.
“A real game-changer to have the vaccine before going back live,” He said. “So if we do get COVID-19 hopefully it will not be nearly as severe or life-threatening.”
Today, the health department vaccinated Durham Public School employees who fall under Group 3. So far 1,800 DPS employees, which is at least 35 percent of its workforce have signed up.
Staff are then prioritized and given appointments based on who will be around the most people at school, which starts next month.
Yesterday in Johnston County, nearly 2,000 teachers received a shot in the arm.
It’s not clear if everyone who registered in Durham for the vaccine will get it by the time school starts. And that’s a concern for leaders at the Durham Association of Educators (DAE).
“We are the City of Medicine I just feel like if we want our teachers to be face to face with students, our bus drivers, our child nutrition workers, our custodians, all those folks then we can figure out a way to start doing this at a large scale,” said Michelle Burton with DAE.
DPS says it’s hopeful it will vaccinate all employees but it depends on supply.
In a statement, the district says: The CDC and NCDHHS say that schools may reopen with safety measures in place without full vaccinations, but we realize how reassuring the vaccine is and we are working to provide it as quickly as possible.
In Raleigh on Thursday, 310 Wake County Public School teachers received the vaccine at Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School. On Saturday, another clinic for teachers will take place at Knightdale High School. Health officials at Wake County Health Department say neighborhoods around those two schools have high rates of COVID-19 spread.
The fastest and most efficient way for Group 3 people to be vaccinated right now remains signing up on our WakeGov.com/Vaccine request form. Group three consists of frontline workers and childcare workers and educators.
In Durham, employees in daycares, other childcare centers, and schools not in the DPS system should have their principal or director email PhPlanning@dconc.gov to coordinate appointment scheduling. All Group 3 vaccination appointments are being scheduled through employers at this time.
2:35 p.m. The first known case of the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 — first identified in the UK — has been confirmed in Durham County.
The county public health department identified the case on Wednesday.
“There have been variant cases found in several other counties across the state, as well as in at least 45 states across the nation, so we did expect that eventually, we would see variant cases here as well,” said Durham County Health Director Rod Jenkins.
The Durham County Department of Public Health said the person is currently in isolation and all known close contacts have been contacted.
2 p.m. At least 3,500 incarcerated people will be granted early release from North Carolina state prisons, according to the NC NAACP and ACLU, after a settlement was reached in NC NAACP v. Cooper, a lawsuit brought by civil rights organizations, three individual incarcerated people, and a spouse of an incarcerated person, challenging the conditions of confinement in North Carolina’s state prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the state has 180 days to release 3,500 people currently in its custody.
That window begins once the trial court grants a request to stay the case during that period. The parties jointly filed the stay request Thursday.
“Today’s historic settlement is a step forward after nearly a year of advocating for the human lives of our neighbors who, in too many cases, have been treated as disposable,” said Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman, president of the NC NAACP.
1:22 p.m. The Halifax County Health Department reports 12 new cases for a total of 4,972 positive COVID 19 cases. One additional death has been added for a county total of 96 — 1.9% of cases.
1:10 p.m. Dr. Anthony Fauci says if a novel coronavirus vaccine is available, regardless of which one, take it.
The top U.S. infectious disease expert told NBC’s “Today” show a third vaccine becoming available “is nothing but good news” and would help control the pandemic. U.S. regulators announced Wednesday that Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine offers strong protection against severe COVID-19. It’s expected to be approved soon by the FDA.
Fauci warns people not to hold off on getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while waiting for the slightly more effective two-dose Pfizer or Moderna shots.
He says it’s a race “between the virus and getting vaccines into people” and “the longer one waits not getting vaccinated, the better chance the virus has to get a variant or a mutation.”
Fauci says public health officials are always concerned about virus variants and stressed following public health measures of wearing masks and social distancing.
The predominant coronavirus variant in the United States is from Britain. Fauci says the vaccines distributed in the U.S. “clearly can take care of that particular strain.”
1 p.m. NCDHHS on Thursday reported 3,351 new COVID-19 cases in the state.
1,498 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. 171 confirmed patients were admitted in the last 24 hours.
The percent of positive tests is at 4.5 percent.
The number is a drop from previous days, but an increase in tests was also reported in the last 24 hours, which could lead to a sharper decline in the percentage.
11,137 people have died in North Carolina from COVID-19 since last March.
835,244 people in North Carolina have received both doses of the vaccine.
12:45 p.m. Sampson County reports 49 new cases for a total of 6,819 positive test results. One additional death was reported for a county total of 91.
There is a drive-through vaccination clinic planned Saturday for childcare and grade-school employees at the Sampson County Expo Center from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. This is a first-dose vaccination event. Participants are encouraged to bring their teacher IDs or another form of employee identification. Vaccines will be available as supply allows.
11 a.m. Two separate teams of researchers said this week they have found a worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast that carries mutations that help it evade the body’s natural immune response — as well as the effects of monoclonal antibody treatments.
Genomics researchers have named the variant B.1.526. It appears in people affected in diverse neighborhoods of New York City, they said, and is “scattered in the Northeast.”
10:30 a.m. There’s new evidence that connects testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies from prior infection with a significantly lower risk of becoming infected again in the future.
A study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Wednesday, found that people who tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies were at a decreased risk of coronavirus infection compared with those who tested negative for antibodies.
THURSDAY MORNING HEADLINES High School football returns to the Triangle on Thursday night after an extended absence caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leesville Road High School is hosting Cardinal Gibbons High School at 6:30 p.m. in the ABC11 Game of the Week.
Student-athletes and fans in the stands will be required to wear masks at all times. There will be fans in the stands, but for now, it will only be the immediate family of players on the home team.
That is a Wake County Public School System policy. However, it’s unclear if that policy will be adjusted as the season moves forward–especially in light of Gov. Roy Cooper’s decision to ease some COVID-19 restrictions starting Friday.
SEE MORE: Details behind Gov. Roy Cooper’s rollback of COVID-19 restrictions
Cooper’s decision means Caniacs will be back at PNC Arena soon. The Carolina Hurricanes will be allowed to host about 2,800 fans at home games under the new restrictions.
Team President Don Waddell said that won’t give the teams a major boost financially, but it is a significant moral victory.
“We want to prove to everybody and make sure that we do everything in a very safe manner,” Waddell said. “But more importantly, for our customers to feel like they’re being watched out for. So they feel that they can come back to the hockey game and enjoy it without having to worry about it.”
Duke University said it plans to finish the season without any spectators inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham welcomed the new guidelines. He said the university is working on ways to safely bring fans back to games. He said the university would place a priority on getting family, friends, students and Rams Club members into the Dean E. Smith Center.
One of the largest crowds in North Carolina will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend. The large outdoor venue will be allowed to fill 30 percent of the seats.
Meanwhile, the peak of the 2020-2021 flu season features a stark decrease in infections as compared to previous years.
Flu cases and hospitalizations are the lowest they’ve been in decades. Experts say mask-wearing and social distancing related to COVID-19 precautions are the main reason for the low flu numbers.
The federal government announced plans Friday to pilot the launch of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site in Greensboro.The site, Community Vaccination Center, which plans to operate seven days a week for eight weeks, would be capable of administering about 3,000 shots a day, and up to 21,000 doses a week.The site will be located at the Four Seasons Town Centre shopping mall, located at 410 Four Seasons Town Centre, and is expected to be up and running by March 10.”It’s a great day for Guilford County,” said Skip Alston, chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. Alston said he and other elected leaders have been working for weeks to advocate for more COVID-19 vaccination resources to come from the federal and state governments to Guilford County. He said Guilford County is located in an ideal location for a mass vaccination site because of its accessibility from surrounding counties.”We’re going to make sure we welcome (FEMA) with open arms,” he said by Zoom Friday afternoon.The federal government will provide the center’s vaccine supply, which will be in addition to North Carolina’s weekly allotment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Another pilot site is being launched in Chicago.The White House said it will deploy federal teams immediately to work with state and local jurisdictions with the vaccine distribution.Officials said the site will act as a “hub” with additional supporting vaccination centers — or “spokes” — reaching nearby communities. “Spoke” locations will be determined by the state. “Spokes” from the Greensboro location may be fixed or mobile centers, depending on the state’s decision. The site was identified using a range of criteria, most central to those is the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. The tool was created to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event. The index takes into consideration critical data points, including socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, languages, housing type and transportation. “We know that a lot of marginalized communities can’t get through on computers, book appointments or get through online,” Alston said. “It puts the African American community, minorities communities and marginalized communities at a disadvantage.”Site considerations for the Four Seasons Town Centre location included adequate parking and access to public transportation. The Greensboro Transit Agency public transportation system serves the Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem areas. The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.North Carolinians will be able to schedule appointments at the site through the state and local vaccination scheduling portals, and eligibility requirements will mirror those of state and local requirements. “This federally supported vaccine center will help North Carolina get more shots in arms and assist us in reaching more underserved communities,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.The Community Vaccination Center will also feature options for drive-thru service in the parking lot and walk-in service in the space formerly occupied by Dillard’s department store. Guilford County Commissioner for District 5 Carly Cooke said she and other county leaders have pushed to ensure the state and federal government know Greensboro and Guilford County are capable of not only efficiently distributing the vaccine but is targeting underserved families in their outreach.”Guilford County staff and Cone Health have made that a focus and have done a great job of reaching out into communities that are traditionally underserved and making sure that they are receiving apppointments and opportunities to get the vaccine,” she said. “This is exciting news.”To reach more marginalized and underserved communities, the main vaccination center at Four Seasons Town Centre will support additional sites and mobile vaccination clinics in communities of need across the Piedmont Triad. Alston said efforts to reach underserved communities will continue through efforts with churches and other community groups. “Thousands of North Carolinians will be able to access vaccines as result of this local, state, and federal partnership,” state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said. “We appreciate everyone working together to focus on getting vaccines to our underserved communities.”
GREENSBORO, N.C. —
The federal government announced plans Friday to pilot the launch of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination site in Greensboro.
The site, Community Vaccination Center, which plans to operate seven days a week for eight weeks, would be capable of administering about 3,000 shots a day, and up to 21,000 doses a week.
The site will be located at the Four Seasons Town Centre shopping mall, located at 410 Four Seasons Town Centre, and is expected to be up and running by March 10.
“It’s a great day for Guilford County,” said Skip Alston, chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.
Alston said he and other elected leaders have been working for weeks to advocate for more COVID-19 vaccination resources to come from the federal and state governments to Guilford County. He said Guilford County is located in an ideal location for a mass vaccination site because of its accessibility from surrounding counties.
“We’re going to make sure we welcome (FEMA) with open arms,” he said by Zoom Friday afternoon.
The federal government will provide the center’s vaccine supply, which will be in addition to North Carolina’s weekly allotment from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another pilot site is being launched in Chicago.
The White House said it will deploy federal teams immediately to work with state and local jurisdictions with the vaccine distribution.
Officials said the site will act as a “hub” with additional supporting vaccination centers — or “spokes” — reaching nearby communities.
“Spoke” locations will be determined by the state. “Spokes” from the Greensboro location may be fixed or mobile centers, depending on the state’s decision.
The site was identified using a range of criteria, most central to those is the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. The tool was created to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event.
The index takes into consideration critical data points, including socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, languages, housing type and transportation.
“We know that a lot of marginalized communities can’t get through on computers, book appointments or get through online,” Alston said. “It puts the African American community, minorities communities and marginalized communities at a disadvantage.”
Site considerations for the Four Seasons Town Centre location included adequate parking and access to public transportation.
The Greensboro Transit Agency public transportation system serves the Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem areas.
The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.
North Carolinians will be able to schedule appointments at the site through the state and local vaccination scheduling portals, and eligibility requirements will mirror those of state and local requirements.
“This federally supported vaccine center will help North Carolina get more shots in arms and assist us in reaching more underserved communities,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.
The Community Vaccination Center will also feature options for drive-thru service in the parking lot and walk-in service in the space formerly occupied by Dillard’s department store.
Guilford County Commissioner for District 5 Carly Cooke said she and other county leaders have pushed to ensure the state and federal government know Greensboro and Guilford County are capable of not only efficiently distributing the vaccine but is targeting underserved families in their outreach.
“Guilford County staff and Cone Health have made that a focus and have done a great job of reaching out into communities that are traditionally underserved and making sure that they are receiving apppointments and opportunities to get the vaccine,” she said. “This is exciting news.”
To reach more marginalized and underserved communities, the main vaccination center at Four Seasons Town Centre will support additional sites and mobile vaccination clinics in communities of need across the Piedmont Triad.
Alston said efforts to reach underserved communities will continue through efforts with churches and other community groups.
“Thousands of North Carolinians will be able to access vaccines as result of this local, state, and federal partnership,” state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said. “We appreciate everyone working together to focus on getting vaccines to our underserved communities.”