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1:20 PM
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that 109,799 people have received the first dose of the vaccine in the state to date.
That number may be underreported, as reporting can delay up to 72 hours.
That number also doesn’t include the 165,990 doses assigned to long-term care facilities. On Jan. 4, CVS and Walgreens reported to NCDHHS that 13,338 doses had been administered through the federal program to long-term care facilities in NC.
1:15 PM
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina continues to rise.
On Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that there were 3,781 people in the hospital with the virus. That is 146 more than Monday and a record so far in the pandemic.
In the past 24 hours, 382 confirmed COVID-19 patients were included.
The percentage of positive tests is at 16.2 percent, well above the state’s goal of 5 percent.
A total of 5,285 new cases were reported on Tuesday.
55 more deaths were also reported. That brings the number in the state to 6,996 since the start of the pandemic.
1:05 pm
Gov. Roy Cooper is mobilizing the National Guard to assist with COVID-19’s vaccination efforts in North Carolina.
Making sure that COVID-19 vaccines are delivered quickly is currently the top priority. We will use all necessary resources and personnel. I’ve mobilized the NC National Guard to provide support to local health care providers as we continue to increase the pace of vaccinations. – RC
– Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) January 5, 2021
Cooper tweeted that delivering the vaccines quickly is the state’s top priority. He said the use of the National Guard will help local health care providers speed up vaccinations.
That message comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the state has one of the worst vaccination rates in the country.
1 o’clock in the afternoon
Early recipients of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine received their second dose at the UNC Medical Center on Tuesday.
The hospital said it has vaccinated 14,000 workers since the vaccine became available weeks ago. Those employees are now getting the follow-up dose, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
UNC Health said employees at UNC REX in Raleigh will receive their second dose on Thursday.
10:50 am
For the second time, The Cypress of Raleigh has a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak.
The Cypress of Raleigh is an elderly community and nursing home in North Raleigh.
The facility first broke up in August. The state defines an outbreak as two or more confirmed cases in a common environment.
Under NCDHHS rules, the facility must now fall back to previous restrictions and not allow visitors for 28 days.
Details of the number of confirmed cases at the facility or if those cases are under staff or residents have not been released.
TUESDAY MORNING STORYLINES
Seniors at a community center in Raleigh will receive potentially life-saving vaccines on Tuesday.
The Cardinal of the North Hills senior community will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for approximately 300 staff and residents. The group is one of those at risk, and some of the demographics are eligible for the early stages of the state’s vaccine rollout plan.
SEE ALSO: North Carolina Is One Of The 7 States With The Lowest COVID-19 Vaccination Rate, CDC Says
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said some areas could move to Phase 1B in the vaccine rollout. That phase includes adults aged 75 or older and primary care workers.
This is happening while some health professionals in Stage 1A still haven’t gotten the vaccine.
All of this comes as state and federal officials admit the vaccine rollout hasn’t gone as smoothly as they’d hoped.
“There have been a few problems. Understandably, ”said Dr. Anthony Fauci. “We are not where we want to be, no doubt about that.”
There are no specific dates yet for the next vaccine rollout phase or a process that you can sign up for to be notified when it’s your turn.
Health officials say it’s important to be patient. NCDHHS directs people to this website for more information on the vaccine stages.
MONDAY
10 pm
In an effort to increase its vaccination distribution, the Cumberland County Department of Public Health is suspending its testing sites with immediate effect, according to a Monday press release.
Since December 18, the department has offered free COVID-19 testing twice a week at Manna Church and Second Missionary Baptist Church.
Dr. Jennifer Green, the director of the health department, told ABC11’s Michael Lozano that it was a decision they would not take lightly, saying, “We wanted to make sure there was staff capacity or that there was testing capacity in our community. felt comfortable, we felt comfortable going in that direction. “
Dr. Green said the department has received more than 3,500 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in recent weeks; in that time, however, they have only been able to distribute to more than 300 people, under Phase 1A.
“We got the vaccine about a week or two after the hospitals got it, so we’re still on the first stage,” Green said.
A big gap that the CCDPH hopes to close with the help of its 250 nurses and staff. Green says they are all trained to distribute vaccines or manage the sites so they can rotate and maintain other departmental operations.
According to local health officials, Cumberland County has a total of 14,430 COVID-19 cases, 140 total deaths, and a positivity rate of 15.4%.
Green told ABC11 that there are still more than 20 free COVID-19 testing sites in the county, making their decision to close theirs a lot more reasonable. She believes the loss of a few test sites will not drastically affect the data the department collects.
“There are many test sites available to the public that are also free and readily available,” Green added.
The CCDPH will receive another shipment of 975 doses of Pfizer this week and are working to vaccinate first-timers and individuals returning for the second dose. The department will also work to get some test sites back.
“We are still continuing our work with our national health department provider; they just won’t be staffed by the health department,” Green said.
Despite the province falling behind, Dr. Green to ABC11 that they expect to catch up and will begin Phase 1B next week along with most of the state.
If you are looking for free COVID-19 tests, you can visit the NCDHHS website or the county website.
There is no word yet on how many vaccination sites will be available.
9.20 pm
The Harnett County Board of Education authorized students to return to personal instruction on January 19. Kindergarten through fifth grade receive face-to-face instruction four days a week. Middle and high school students continue on an A / B schedule
Pre-K continues with five days of face-to-face instruction.
5:15 pm
Beginning this week, individuals 75 or older can register to receive a COVID-19 vaccination from the Wayne County Health Department under Phase 1B.
The Wayne County Health Department has only 550 doses of the vaccine to register for at these two vaccination events. More information can be found here.
12:15 pm
The daily rate of positive test rates for COVID-19 in North Carolina has risen to about 16.5%, the pandemic’s highest rate.
The peak comes after the rate of 13.6% on Sundays and the rate of 15.5% on Saturdays.
The state reported 5,187 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, and 3,635 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, also a new high.
There have been 6,941 deaths (an increase of 31 from Sunday’s report) from COVID-19 and 570,111 cases in total. Full statistics are available on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.
MONDAY MORNING HEADLINES
The UK has released the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. Officials said they have 530,000 doses of the vaccine and will continue to deliver the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Dialysis patient Brian Pinker was the first to receive the new vaccine at Oxford University Hospital.
Free COVID-19 testing continues this week in Wake County. You can get a free COVID-19 test this week at Roberts Park, Marsh Creek Park, and Method Community Park in Raleigh. No ID or insurance is required. More information is available on the Wake County COVID-19 website.
Today is also the first day that some US patients will receive the second dose of their COVID-19 vaccine. It’s been 21 days since the first approved Pfizer vaccines were given to front-line workers.
The vaccine requires a second dose 3 weeks after the initial dose to provide the best protection against COVID-19.
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