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Updates from Gov. Cooper's COVID-19 briefing: https://twitter.com/NC_Governor/status/1346892977369542656
As of today, we have had 582,348 confirmed cases, 6,952 new cases, 3,893 people are in the hospital, and sadly, 7,076 people have died. We are sending our prayers to those who have lost loved ones to this virus and to the people who are fighting it now.
In North Carolina, we have seen some of our highest case counts, percent positives, hospitalizations and ICU bed usage numbers in the past few days. As Dr. Cohen will show, 96 counties are now labeled as “red” or “orange,” meaning critical or substantial virus spread.
A new, highly contagious strand of the virus has been detected in the United States. We need to act as if it’s already here in North Carolina even though it hasn’t yet been confirmed. This should inspire every one of us to double down on safety precautions.
I’m extending for 3 weeks the modified Stay At Home Order that requires people to be home between 10 pm - 5 am. Our other strong safety measures remain in place: the statewide mask mandate, closure of indoor bars and limits on mass gatherings and retail establishment capacity.
Dr. Cohen will issue a new Secretarial Directive to caution in stark terms against leaving home for any reason other than work, school, exercise, health care needs or groceries. Simply put, don’t go places indoors where people aren’t wearing masks.
Deciding to stay home or say no to an invitation to get together indoors can be hard, especially with people we know and trust, but it is necessary to save lives.
As we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we are also helping local hospitals and health departments to support their vaccine efforts. Getting the vaccine out quickly is the most urgent priority right now, and we will use everything and everyone needed to get the job done.
Secretary Cohen and her department are doing an excellent job onboarding more vaccine providers and coordinating efforts with other state agencies to help prepare those providers to get their supply out efficiently.
To support vaccine efforts, I’ve mobilized the @NCNationalGuard to coordinate with @NCDHHS and @NCEmergency. For now, this mobilization includes approximately 50 Guards men and women, and we will add more as needed.
Some @NCNationalGuard members can administer the vaccine, others will support logistics, planning and other key functions like helping local health departments and other providers make timely data entry into the state’s tracking system.
We’re concerned about reports that some people have declined to take the vaccine when it is their turn. However, as more people get vaccinated without any serious safety concerns, we believe that many of those who are hesitant will gain confidence.
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. It was approved by an independent advisory board of health experts.
The vaccine will eventually be our best medical weapon against this deadly pandemic. But as we’ve said, it will take many months to get there. Until then, we have to mind the data and use our best prevention tools to slow the rapid spread of this virus.
The numbers paint a dark and difficult picture - COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly. We're at a critical point in our fight against the virus. We need to take stock of our own actions and pay attention to the modified Stay At Home order and Dr. Cohen’s secretarial directive.
Helping health departments, hospitals, and health care providers now will make a difference as the state continues to get more vaccines. But until there is enough supply to vaccinate most of the state, then prevention is our best weapon.
With hospitals feeling the strain and more people sick, there has never been a more important time to take this seriously.
I’m sure many of us spent recent days and the New Year’s holiday thinking about how we’ve been fighting this pandemic for nearly an entire year. It’s tiring, it’s frustrating and we’re all longing for the way that things used to be.
But if we wear our masks and avoid risky activities we will get to the other side faster. Let’s work together and rise to this challenge together.
