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MAIN FEATURES OF THE WEDNESDAY MORNING
More than 63,000 people in North Carolina have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The state is also reportedly receiving about 100,000 additional doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines this week. Those doses are still reserved for specific workers and there is no specific date yet when the vaccines will be offered to the general public.
Gov. Roy Cooper and other state health officials will provide a COVID-19 update today at 2 p.m. ABC11 will broadcast that update on television and online.
The IRS will begin sending its second round of stimulus checks to millions of Americans on Wednesday. The checks include $ 600 for eligible citizens and $ 600 for each dependent child.
Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked two Democratic attempts to increase the amount of those checks to $ 2,000. McConnell is trying to link that check increase with other Republican wishlist items, such as overhauling the 2020 presidential election and repealing protections for social media companies.
New COVID-19 statistics in North Carolina are expected to be released around noon on Wednesday. Yesterday’s statistics showed a continuous increase in the number of people hospitalized with the virus.
TUESDAY
16.00 hours
Wake County Public Health has confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 at Wellington Rehabilitation and Healthcare, at 1000 Tandall Place in Knightdale.
This is the second confirmed outbreak at this facility. The previous outbreak took place in April. No additional information about residents or employees within the facility will be disclosed.
14.00 hours
A Central Jail inmate with pre-existing medical conditions who tested positive for COVID-19 has died in a hospital, the Ministry of Public Security said.
“We sympathize with the perpetrator’s family, as losing a loved one is hard enough, but especially during the holidays,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “We continue to work diligently to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons as the health and safety of staff and offender population remains our top priority.”
The perpetrator tested positive for COVID-19 on December 18 and was hospitalized that same day. His condition deteriorated and he died on December 24.
The culprit was a man in the early 1970s with underlying health problems, the Department of Public Security said.
1:01 pm
The Halifax County Health Department is reporting 15 new cases for a total of 2,788 COVID 19 positive cases.
There have been 45 deaths in the province – 1.7% of COVID 19 cases.
12:40 pm
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 3,563 new COVID-19 cases, in line with the past two days, but lower than in previous weeks. However, the state registered only 18,846 new tests, a sharp drop from previous weeks when the state reported at least double that number every day.
As a result, the percentage of positive tests hit 13.5% on Sunday, nearly three times the state’s benchmark of 5% or below. Hoke County has one of the highest rates of positive tests in the state at 17.9%.
Currently, 3,377 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, the highest number reported in the pandemic so far. In the past 24 hours, 361 confirmed COVID-19 patients have been admitted to hospitals. A total of 761 adult COVID-19 patients are in the ICU, the highest ever recorded. Statewide, there are currently 397 ICU beds available and more than 2,000 in use.
11:11 am
The Lee County Government health department said it has begun administering the COVID-19 vaccine to primary care health professionals in accordance with Phase 1a of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) vaccine distribution plan.
“The department received the county’s first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 22,” said Heath Cain, LCG Health Director. “We have a limited supply and have focused our initial efforts on administering the vaccine to primary care health workers most at risk of exposure to COVID-19. The department continues to work closely with NCDHHS, but we cannot predict how soon we will. Go through the different phases of the vaccine rollout plan, as we don’t know when and how much vaccine we will receive. The department will share additional information on vaccine availability as information becomes available. “
The county’s health department has received one batch of vaccine. The vaccine supplied to Lee County’s health department is manufactured by Moderna and requires a second injection after four weeks.
The roll-out plan for vaccination will take several months; In the meantime, the public is reminded that the public must continue to follow the Three Ws to help prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 – Wear a mask; Wait two meters or more from others to maintain a safe social distance; and wash your hands.
11 hours
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services partners with North Carolina Central University’s Advanced Center for COVID-19 Related Disparities (NCCU ACCORD) to ensure comprehensive COVID-19 information is effective in reaching disadvantaged communities in North Carolina. The partnership is designed to help everyone make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines.
“As the pandemic continues to disproportionately affect historically marginalized communities, it is vital that we reach the communities most affected,” said NCDHHS deputy secretary for health services and co-lead of the Historically Marginalized Population Working Group, E. Benjamin Money, Jr ., MPH. “By partnering with ACCORD, we can better ensure that we engage the American Indian, African American and Latinx populations, as well as those without Internet access, to build confidence in the security and effectiveness of the COVID-19- vaccines. “
NCDHHS and ACCORD are collaborating on a joint investigation to supplement existing state research data and support ongoing communications efforts. The data will aid in informing materials and in efforts to provide accurate and reliable information that fits the needs and concerns of different communities.
“As a two-way exchange of information, this resource-sharing platform will greatly benefit all North Carolina people and help us better serve the state and its colored communities,” said Deepak Kumar, Ph.D., director of the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI) and founder of the ACCORD program. “The partnership will support our efforts to serve as a resource for disadvantaged communities through our network of community leaders and health partners.”
9.47 am
A drive-thru COVID-19 testing event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Moore County Health Department, 705 Pinehurst Ave. in Carthage.
HEADLINES Tuesday morning
Three new free COVID-19 testing sites have opened in Raleigh.
Marsh Creek Park, Roberts Park, and Method Community Park are the three new locations joining Departure Drive Building, Radeas Labs, and Swinburne Parking Lot as drive-thru test sites.
Click here for more information on each location.
Health officials recommend that anyone returning from vacation trips or gatherings get tested three to five days after your last contact with people outside of your bubble.
The tests at these drive-thru locations are completely free and usually return results within 24-48 hours.
Meanwhile, another COVID-19 vaccine candidate is moving forward. Novavax is now the fifth company to start a large-scale trial in the US.
That vaccine is being produced on a large scale in Morrisville at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. Fujifilm added 85 new jobs in Morrisville this year, and the company said it plans to expand again in 2021.
The vaccines already approved by the FDA are now being distributed to nursing homes and long-term care facilities in our state.
CVS and Walgreens began vaccinating residents and employees of those facilities on Monday.
Meanwhile, North Carolina is reporting more COVID-19 patients in hospitals than ever before: 3,192. That number includes a record 733 adults in intensive care.
Despite the push to increase the number of tests performed, the positive rate continues to rise – to 14.7%, which is much higher than the state’s target of less than 5%.
The new COVID-19 statistics will be released around noon
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