The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has selected 17 school districts and 11 charter schools to participate in a pilot program to deploy COVID-19 rapid testing in K-12 public schools where any in-person instruction is happening.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen witnessed some of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the country at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill. UNC Health has begun administering the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to health care workers who interact with COVID-19 patients. This includes doctors, nurses, custodial staff and more employees who have risked their health to care for patients infected with this virus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 16 years of age and older.“Many believed it would take at least a year to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, but American innovation has exceeded expectations yet again,” said Congressman Greg Murphy, the only practicing physician in Congress. “I will be getting vaccinated next year once it is widely available to the American public and after those who are on the frontlines or are most vulnerable have already received it,” said U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.
When I announced North Carolina had its first known COVID case on March 3rd, most of us didn’t expect to be living like this in December. Instead of preparing for beloved holiday traditions, we’re making virtual gathering plans and mourning the loss of more than 290,000 Americans from COVID-19.
Gov. Roy Cooper is still selling Medicaid expansion, but Republican lawmakers still aren’t buying. The first meeting of the bipartisan N.C. Council for Health Care Coverage, held on Dec. 4, fractured into a partisan divide over expanding Medicaid. Cooper spent hours pushing for Medicaid expansion, but Republican lawmakers declared themselves disappointed in his focus.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is urging people to get vaccinated against hepatitis A. The department is reporting a sharp increase in the virus associated with an ongoing outbreak that began in April 2018. Of the 423 cases related to the outbreak, 270 have been reported since January 2020.
