Gov. Roy Cooper and state health secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen addressed the nascent Omicron variant Tuesday, Nov. 30, but they were reticent to raise alarms, in contrast to local media reports over the past couple of days.
Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 key metrics and trends.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone 18 years or older who received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine get a booster six months after their second dose to help strengthen and extend protections against COVID-19. This comes after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the boosters for such use today.
As COVID-19 cases surged this summer fueled by the Delta variant, hospitalizations and deaths among residents in North Carolina long-term care facilities were significantly lower than during the winter surge, as shown in data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Governor Roy Cooper and State Health Director Betsey Tilson got their flu shot today at Health Park Pharmacy in Wake County and encouraged North Carolinians to get their COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot.
Winston-Salem based Novant Health has suspended more than 300 employees effective this week for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine. According to a press release from the hospital system, those who have not either had one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine or a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer will not be allowed to report to work. Those with one dose will have until October 15 to get the second one.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 clusters among school sports teams. For the period between July 1 and Sept. 2, 2021, clusters among school sports teams accounted for 45% of all clusters in North Carolina middle and high schools, despite most school sports activities not beginning until August as schools began the fall semester. School sports teams are urged to follow NCDHHS guidance for youth sports.
Governor Roy Cooper visited Pizzeria Mercato in Carrboro to thank the owner, Gabe Barker, and employees for their work to help protect staff, patrons and the community. The restaurant requires customers to show their vaccine card or a photo to dine indoors.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has launched TeenVaxFacts.com – a website dedicated to providing teens with the information, tools and resources they need to educate themselves, their friends and their family members about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper, NC DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and State Health Director Dr. Betsey Tilson sent a letter to school boards that have failed to adopt the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit urging them to protect their students and staff in the new school year.
North Carolina experienced the largest single day jump in hospital ICU admissions since the beginning of the pandemic. Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations among people ages 20-49 are at an all-time high.
The push and pull regarding vaccination mandates continues, both on Capitol Hill and in. the state legislature, from Republicans and from Democrats.
