'We're just not there yet' | North Carolina gives green light to vaccinate adults 65+, but some health departments aren't ready just yet
Several health departments in the Triad said because of a limited supply of vaccines, many are still trying to complete vaccinations for ages 75 and up.
Credit: Cory Morrocco Published: 1:06 PM EST January 14, 2021 Updated: 11:17 PM EST January 14, 2021
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolinians ages 65 and older can now get the COVID-19 vaccine, North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced Thursday during a task force press briefing.
State leaders are working to get more vaccines into arms faster as hospitalizations and cases surge across North Carolina.
Elon provided COVID-19 testing as faculty and staff return after the winter break in Alumni Gym.
The following update from the Ready & Resilient Committee sent to faculty and staff focuses on the increased testing that will begin next week for students, faculty and staff as well as information about volunteering to assist with testing.
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Dear colleagues,
Thank you for participating in and volunteering to facilitate arrival testing. Below are updates regarding arrival testing results, increased testing offered Winter Term and Spring Semester, and our need for test site volunteers.
Students will be back in elementary schools March 1 and in middle and high schools March 8, after a vote by the Alamance-Burlington Board of Education, Tuesday, unless they change plans again.
“I promise you if we are not in a better place, I will bring a motion at our February meeting,” said Board Chair Allison Gant before the vote. “I do believe safety will have to trump at some point.”
The board had a long, contentious and emotional debate Tuesday afternoon on Superintendent Bruce Benson’s proposal to push the return to schools date back a month and have students in schools two days a week. They voted 5-2 for the plan, while COVID-19 is worse than ever in Alamance County with two members of the board having it go through their homes and the Alamance County Health Department reporting a cluster of eight cases at Southern Alamance High School during the meeting.
The Alamance County Health Department is reporting coronavirus outbreaks or clusters at two schools and a long-term care facility.
At Southern Alamance High School in Graham, three students and three staff members tested positive. Eight cases have been confirmed at Positive Attitudes Youth Center in Burlington, including six children and two staff members.
Brookdale Senior Living-Memory Care in Burlington is reporting 13 cases among residents and two among staff members.
Superintendent Bruce Benson said staff and families have been notified about the cluster at Southern Alamance High School. The school is disinfecting the areas of the school where those who tested positive had been.
Dog dies after exposure to rabies
A dog was euthanized after being bitten by a skunk that tested positive for rabies.
On Jan. 7, the skunk bit the dog on Fernway Drive in Burlington. Alamance County Animal Control sent the skunk to be tested, and on Jan. 11, it tested positive for rabies.
The dog was originally quarantined because it wasn't up-to-date on vaccinations. It was later euthanized, according to a press release.
The Alamance County Health Department doesn't believe any humans were exposed to the skunk.
This is the first identified rabies case of the year in Alamance County. Last year, the county had three confirmed rabies cases.
Residents in Alamance, Franklin Counties Experience Long Wait Times To Get Vaccinated wunc.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wunc.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Where and when to get the COVID-19 vaccine under Phase 1B
Here's what Triad health departments have the vaccine and when they're accepting appointments for adults over 75. Author: Grace Holland Updated: 6:58 AM EST January 7, 2021
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The push to get the coronavirus vaccine is picking up.
Guilford County announced Tuesday that it will begin vaccinating adults 75 years and older as part of Phase 1b of the state's distribution plan starting on January 11.
"The intent is starting our vaccine clinics for people that are older than 75 on Monday," Cone Health Director of Infectious Disease Dr. Cynthia Snider said.
Governor Cooper also announced Tuesday he mobilized North Carolina National Guard members to help speed up distribution.
As the year comes to a close, COVID-19 case counts continue to climb nine months after the pandemic began. The Alamance County Health Department reported Sunday there have been a total of 10,583 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 147 deaths since the disease struck the area earlier this year.
Sunday’s case count indicates 644 new cases confirmed in the past week and 13 new deaths. The Health Department reported 991 individuals remain in isolation, while 9,445 have recovered and been released from isolation. Forty-nine people were hospitalized for COVID-related care as of Sunday.
An average of 111 new cases has been reported per day in the last week, including 165 on Sunday.