NC coronavirus update 6 January: Governor Roy Cooper gives COVID 19 update on Wednesday after mobilizing the national guard to help with vaccinations

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – Here are the latest updates on COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in North Carolina.

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10 a.m.
A COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Goldsboro ran out of available doses for the day after it opened early due to high demand.

Healthcare workers at the Maxwell Center began helping seniors vaccinate just before 8 p.m. A limited amount of vaccine was available for those waiting on a first-come-first-served basis. The clinic’s goal is to vaccinate 300 people every day for the rest of the week.

The Wayne County Department of Health is organizing another clinic for ages 75 and older at the Peggy M. Seagars Senior Center in Goldsboro, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MORNING STORYLINES

Government Roy Cooper and the state coronavirus task force will provide an update on the state’s COVID-19 response at 2 p.m. On Tuesday, the Govt. Cooper mobilized the NC National Guard to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.

Fifty National Guard personnel have been appointed to emergency management centers in Kinston, Butner and Concord.

LOOK: Is there a delay in COVID-19 vaccinations in NC? NCDHHS, dr. Mandy Cohen, explained

“Ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are administered rapidly is currently our top priority,” Cooper tweeted Tuesday. “We will use all the necessary resources and staff.”

You can watch the briefing live on ABC11 and abc11.com.

More than 3,700 people in North Carolina are in the hospital due to COVID-19. The number of COVID-19-related deaths is expected to exceed 7,000 on Wednesday, as the number is currently 6,996. The daily percentage positive test rate is 16.2%, well above the state’s target rate of 5%.

More than 3 million Americans were vaccinated on Tuesday. That pushes the total number of Americans vaccinated to nearly 20 million.

TUESDAY

21:30
Michael Lozano, ABC11, it with rep. Billy Richardson, a Democrat in District 44, wrote a letter to Governor Roy Cooper and the General Assembly urging them to reconvene the General Assembly and deploy the NC National Guard.

The congressman was forced to write the 600-word letter after a good friend of his died in Fayetteville due to COVID-19.

“It touched me so much because his brother was a dear friend, and I said, ‘Enough. We must, you know, I examined my own consciousness and said I was not doing enough as a representative,'” Richardson said. said.

Part of the letter says that the rising COVID-19 statistics, coupled with the low vaccination rate, were ‘disturbing’. Richardson told ABC11 the deployment and incorporation of the NC National Guard and Emergency Management would have a major impact on government efforts.

“Our healthcare staff does not have to organize it and do the nuts and bolts to it. That’s what our wonderful guard can do,” Richardson said.

The congressman said this state would enable the state to catch up and be on top of vaccinations.

“We are North Carolina. We may not, we do not start as fast as others, but we learn fast and we adapt. And at the end of the day, we are going to get people vaccinated,” he said. Richardson.
18:40
The national guard has released more information about its plan to help with vaccinations in the state.

The North Carolina National Guard yesterday and today mobilized about 50 staff members in support of the expected request requests from state partners and health departments in the country. The guard will be in use this week.

Some of the planned activities include logistics planning, support of the command and control center and vaccination teams that will be available to support state effort and fellow guard personnel.

Currently, the logistics and command and control personnel will be assigned to work with DPS’s Emergency Management Division’s local coordination centers in Kinston, Butner and Concord. The vaccination teams will be mobile with time and places still being developed by DPS and DHHS.

The NC Guard will next week administer the COVID-19 vaccine on a voluntary basis to the guards who support the COVID-19 response from the state.

From March 6, 2020 to July 31, 2020, the NCNG had 940 service members on duty who supported the NC DHHS and DPS COVID-19 response. Their missions were PPE distribution, COVID-19 testing, food distribution, cyber support and warehouse management and operations.

The guard stopped supporting COVID-19 at the end of July 2020 and resumed their support for COVID-19 on 23 September 2020 with approx. 180 staff providing food bank and COVID-19 testing support.

13:20
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that 109,799 people have received the first dose of vaccine to date in the state.

There may not be enough reporting on the number, as there can be up to 72 hours delay in reporting.

The number also does not include the 165,990 doses allocated for long-term care facilities. As of January 4, CVS and Walgreens reported to NCDHHS that 13,338 doses had been administered by the federal program to long-term care institutions in NC.

13:15
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina is still increasing.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported Tuesday that there were 3,781 people in the hospital with the virus. It has risen from Monday 146 and so far a record in the pandemic.

382 confirmed COVID-19 patients were admitted in the last 24 hours.

The percentage of positive tests is at 16.2 percent, which is much more than the state’s target of 5 percent.

A total of 5,285 new cases were reported on Tuesday.

Another 55 deaths were reported. This brings the number in the state to 6,996 since the beginning of the pandemic.

13:05
Government Roy Cooper is mobilizing the National Guard to help with the COVID-19 vaccination efforts in North Carolina.

Cooper tweeted that obtaining the vaccines is the state’s highest priority. He said the use of the National Guard would help local health care providers increase the rate of vaccinations.

The message comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the state has one of the worst vaccination rates in the country.

13:00

Early recipients of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine began receiving their second dose at UNC Medical Center on Tuesday.

The hospital said it had vaccinated 14,000 employees since the vaccination became available weeks ago. The employees now receive the follow-up dose, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

UNC Health said UNC REX employees in Raleigh will receive their second doses on Thursday.

10:50 am
For the second time, The Cypress of Raleigh has a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak.

The Cypress of Raleigh is a retirement community and nursing home in North Raleigh.

The plant had its first outbreak in August. The state defines an outbreak as two or more confirmed cases in a municipal setting.

According to NCDHHS rules, the institution must now revert to previous restrictions and not allow visitors during 28 days.

Specifications regarding the number of cases confirmed at the facility, or if the cases are among staff or residents, were not disclosed.

TUESDAY MORNING STORYLINES

Elderly people at one Raleigh community center received potentially life-saving vaccines on Tuesday.

The cardinal at the North Hills Parent Home Community is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for approximately 300 staff members and residents. The group is among those at risk, and is part of the demographic that is eligible for the early stages of the state of vaccination.

SEE ALSO: North Carolina among the 7 states with the lowest vaccination rate COVID-19, says CDC

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said some areas may move to Phase 1B in the vaccine deployment plan. The phase includes adults 75 years and older and essential workers.

This happens while some health workers in Phase 1A are not yet offered the vaccine.

It all comes as state and federal officials acknowledge that the rollout of vaccines has not gone as smoothly as they had hoped.

“There were some mistakes. It’s understandable,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci said. “We are not where we want to be, there is no doubt about it.”

There are no specific dates yet when the next phase of vaccination will begin, or any procedure where you can sign up to be notified when it’s your turn.

Health officials say it is important to be patient. NCDHHS directs people to this site for more information on the vaccination stages.