Dr. West Paul, New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s chief clinical officer, said in the 30 years he’s worked in healthcare he’s never seen a year without a flu season until now.
“I have to attribute it to what we ve been doing with masking and everything else,” he said.
Masks have been a point of contention since the start of the pandemic, as the public debated over their effectiveness and the freedom to choose not to wear one. But a year later, with masks more widely accepted and normalized, Howard said it’s possible people will continue wearing them in public, even after mandates are gone and most of the population has received the COVID-19 vaccine.
A Wilmington man was killed in a car crash on Tuesday afternoon.
Earl Webb Temple IV, 34, was involved in a head-on collision on N.C. Hwy. 53 near Burgaw, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.
was driving east on N.C. 53 when his car ran off the road, according to highway patrol. He over-corrected, crossed the center line and then collided head-on with another vehicle.
EMS pronounced Temple dead on the scene, according to highway patrol.
Temple didn t appear under the influence, according to highway patrol.
Highway patrol said a family of five, including three kids, were in the other vehicle, all of whom were transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Pointe 14 movie theater is slated to reopen later this month.
The theater announced its plans to reopen on April 23 in a post made earlier this week on its Facebook page.
Marie Cole, a marketing consultant for Stone Theaters, the company that owns The Pointe 14, confirmed the reopening.
All movie theaters owned by Stone Theaters will be opening on April 23, except for a location near Charlotte that will open a week later, Cole said. Stone Theaters has locations in Myrtle Beach and Fayetteville, among other sites in the Carolinas.
Customers will be required to wear masks when the theater re-opens and staff will implement new cleaning protocols, including frequent surface cleaning and nightly deep cleaning, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
An unidentified 17-year-old girl jumped off the eastbound I-140 bridge near U.S. 421 shortly after 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
According to New Hanover Sheriff s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Jerry Brewer, she fell about 150 to 200 feet.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office worked together with the New Hanover County Fire Rescue, Wilmington Fire Department, New Hanover Regional EMS, and the N.C. State Highway Patrol to save the young woman who is in stable condition and did not suffer any life-threatening injuries, the release said.
According to the release, two firemen and the New Hanover Fire Rescue along with Master Rappeller Sgt. Bryant from the sheriff’s office were able to rappel down and get the woman up from the bridge and retrieve her after she jumped.
All residents 16 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccinations in North Carolina.
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper announced in late March the state would accelerate its vaccination plan, allowing the general public to schedule vaccination appointments starting April 7. The move put North Carolina well ahead of President Joe Biden’s goal to have vaccines available to the general public by May 1.
This comes as New Hanover County sees a significant drop in coronavirus cases, particularly in older populations. New Hanover Health and Human Services Director Donna Fayko said the county saw no new COVID-19 related deaths reported in the last week after coronavirus cases remained high throughout the winter.