NC offers more testing events as Cooper, Cohen urge against holiday travel

RALEIGH — On the day that North Carolina reported more people in the hospital with COVID-19 than ever before, Gov. Roy Cooper and his coronavirus task force shared an update on the ongoing crisis across the state.

Cooper and Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen praised the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination plan but warned North Carolinians that there will still be quite a bit of time before the vaccine has an impact on COVID-19 metrics in the state.

“We are experiencing a staggering increase in our pandemic trends, and I am particularly worried about our hospital capacity,” Cohen said.

It came a day after the first doses of the FDA-authorized Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived in North Carolina.

On Monday morning, Cooper took to social media to announce that the state’s first doses of the vaccine had arrived, calling it a “remarkable achievement for science and health.”

>> Turn to Channel 9, your WSOCTV News App, or WSOC Now on your smart TV to watch the news conference LIVE this afternoon.

“Vaccinations are underway in North Carolina,” Cooper said on Tuesday. “The first COVID-19 vaccine shipment arrived at 7:20 a.m. yesterday morning at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. I even talked to North Carolina UPS driver Danny Parson who made that delivery, which was the first in the country.”

“In addition to the three yesterday, eight more hospitals received shipments today and began vaccinating. Forty-two hospitals will receive shipments on Thursday. Our North Carolina team spent months preparing for this moment, and now, we’re moving our vaccination plan into action.”

300 new, free COVID-19 testing events

Cooper announced on Tuesday that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will offer more than 300 no-cost, walk-up or drive-through COVID-19 testing events over the next two weeks to help North Carolinians protect themselves and their loved ones during the holidays.

This includes testing in partnership with new retailers in seven counties across the state.

In addition to existing testing events throughout North Carolina, retailers in Buncombe, Durham, Harnett, Iredell, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wake counties are offering testing Dec. 18-20 and Dec. 26-27 in the parking lots of select Agri Supply, Carlie C’s IGA, Home Depot, Piggly Wiggly and Wegman’s stores.

“We want North Carolinians to do everything possible to protect their loved ones and keep themselves and our community safe,” said Mack McLamb, President of Carlie C’s. “We’re committed to working with NCDHHS to ensure that anyone who needs a COVID test can get one. Our goal is to love the communities we are in, and wellness of our customers is part of that goal.”

For a full list of all testing event times and locations throughout the state, visit the No-Cost Community Testing Events page on the NCDHHS website. More locations are being added each day, and additional testing sites can be found at Find My Testing Place.

Anyone can get tested for COVID-19 at these events. People without insurance are eligible for testing, and identification documents are not required. Children and adults may be tested, but a parent or legal guardian must be present with children and teens 17 or younger.

Cooper asks feds for more notice on vaccine allotment

Cooper also said the state is being given too little time by the federal government to make plans for distributing Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. Hospital workers at greatest risk of exposure to the virus are starting to get vaccinated this week.

President Donald Trump’s administration has yet to provide the state with a specific number of doses it can expect to receive next week. Cooper said he told Vice President Mike Pence the state would like more notice so it can better plan where to send the doses.

“If the Moderna vaccine is authorized by an independent committee of the FDA on Thursday, we expect to get 175,000 doses of that vaccine next week,” Cooper said. “Just over half of those will go to long-term care facilities. We expect them to begin getting vaccinated at the end of the month.”

“North Carolina and every other state still need clarity from the federal government as to how many doses of the Pfizer vaccine we will receive going forward,” Cooper said. “We’ve been told that each Friday, we’ll get information about the following week’s shipment, giving the states just a few hours to direct where these shipments will go. Yesterday, I raised this issue with Vice President Mike Pence on a call with other governors. I asked for more time to plan, which is critical as our vaccines roll out across the state and they said they will work on it.”

People who have symptoms of COVID-19 or who have been around a person with COVID-19 should not shop in person until their isolation or quarantine period has ended. This includes shopping at partner retailers during testing events.

Cooper, Cohen, CDC urge people not to travel for Christmas

With nearly half the state experiencing critical community spread of COVID-19, NCDHHS and the CDC are strongly urging caution when traveling or gathering for holiday celebrations. Per North Carolina’s modified Stay at Home order, indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people or fewer.

“We strongly recommend you celebrate the holidays at home with the people who live in your household,” said Cohen. “Our numbers are dangerously high and climbing, and staying home is the safest way to protect the people you love. If you must travel or gather, get tested first, keep it small and outdoors, and always wear a mask.”

NCDHHS recommends avoiding traveling and gathering this holiday season. If you must, leaders want you to consider taking a test three to four days before traveling or gathering with people who live outside your home.

“With the holidays here, I know that it’s hard to imagine missing out on our beloved traditions with families and friends getting together,” Cooper said. “But just like Thanksgiving, we need to re-think what it means to celebrate this December. We’re seeing the Thanksgiving COVID-19 spike over the last few days and the Christmas holidays could be even worse. The safest option is to connect online or by phone.”

A test can help you know if you have COVID-19 even if you do not have symptoms. If your test is positive, stay home and self-isolate or quarantine.

However, tests can miss some infections, according to the NCDHHS. If your test is negative, continue to practice the 3Ws — wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart from people who do not live in your household and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.

NCDHHS also recommends you quarantine for 14 days before gathering with anyone outside your household, especially from the time you test until you travel or gather. While gathering, shopping or traveling, follow the 3Ws and current mask-wearing requirements, which include wearing a mask in any public indoor space even when maintaining 6 feet of distance.

“Our numbers are still too high, and the vaccine can’t yet have a significant effect,” Cooper said. “We must get these trends turned around. Seeing vaccinations underway gives us hope at the end of a hard year. But this virus continues to be extremely contagious and deadly.”

Enforcing COVID-19 protocols

Cooper said he, along with NCDPS Secretary Erik Hooks and Cohen, sent a letter to local government officials last week encouraging enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocols.

He said governments can enforce safety protocols with civil penalties for violations instead of criminal charges “which we believe can be more effective.”

”Our aim is not to get people in trouble,” Cooper said. “It is to get people to do the right things to slow the spread of this virus and keep it from overwhelming our hospital systems. I’m grateful to the many local governments already taking action to keep their communities safe.”

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