Beaufort County Emergency Management: COVID-19 Update (1-21-20) | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

1/20/2020 Beaufort County, NC COVID-19 SITREP Updates from our previous posting have been highlighted.
The following information is as of 5:30pm.
    Case Statistics
    *NC statistics reflect changes since 1/17/21.*

• NC has had a total 690,912 confirmed cases, with 8,200 deaths. Our state currently has 103,139 active cases and 3,740 hospitalizations.
  • Beaufort County has had a total of 3,586 cases, with 563 currently active, 21 of which are hospitalized.
• All active cases are self-isolating.
• Eastern NC counties with total confirmed cases include: Bertie, (1,436), Beaufort (3,586), Bladen (2,370), Brunswick (5,862), Carteret (3,491), Camden (426), Chowan (1,061), Columbus (4,614), Craven (6,517), Currituck (965), Dare (1,523), Duplin (4,963), Edgecombe (3,767), Gates (481), Greene (1,794), Halifax (3,876), Hertford (1,677), Hyde (563), Jones (533), Lenoir (4,236), Martin (1,745), New Hanover (12,298), Northampton (1,369), Onslow (11,552), Pamlico (673), Pasquotank (2,417), Pender (3,736), Perquimans (694), Pitt (14,201) Sampson (5,817), Tyrrell (221) Washington (666), Wayne (8,590) and Wilson (6,886). Mecklenburg (78,778), Wake (58,306), Guilford (31,738), Forsyth (25,473), Gaston (19,855) and Durham (17,960) counties have the most cases.

    Beaufort County Statistics     Please use the following link for the latest statistics pertaining to Beaufort County cases:

    Beaufort County NC COVID Surveillance

    *This link can also be found on the Beaufort County Health Department’s Webpage.*

    Vaccine Information     January 19, 2021

    URGENT RELEASE

    This morning, January 19th, at 9:00am, we opened our call center and appointment link for COVID-19 vaccine. Within 3 minutes of 9:00am all 175 additional appointments were filled.

    Beaufort County has approximately 12,000 people who are over the age of 65 and we are extremely limited on vaccine.

    Please be patient as we wait for additional doses to be allocated. We want each and every person to receive the vaccine as soon as possible and we are committed to seeing that happen; unfortunately that won't happen all at once.

    We realize this is a very frustrating time for those who want to be vaccinated. We are diligently working on options to provide a more feasible solution to scheduling appointments.

    Thank you,

    James Madson, RN     MPH Health Director     Beaufort County Health Department

    How Vaccine Supplies and Allocations Impact Beaufort County     Since the rollout of the first COVID-19 vaccine within the US, conversations of stockpiles, shipments, who gets it, and how many they get have flooded national, state and local conversations. Each day brings with it a seemingly growing spectrum of statements, with some saying there are millions of doses just waiting to be administered to the public and others saying we do not have enough. The truth is, both are correct. Much of the distance between these two spectrums lies in federal, state and local providers' capabilities and the timeframe they have to act.

    Almost everything related to vaccinations revolves around 1-week increments. For example, each Tuesday, the Federal Government provides North Carolina with the number of vaccines they will receive the following week. North Carolina then takes Wednesday and Thursday to determine how best to disperse the state's shipment amongst its 100 counties. That number is shared with the counties and their partnering agencies on Thursday. Counties will have Friday through Sunday to develop a plan to administer their doses to the public best. Doses typically arrive in the county on Mondays or Tuesdays, with the goal of having all those doses dispersed by Friday.

    Because of this very short time frame, federal, state, and local providers must lean forward in their planning and make presumptions in regards to vaccination efforts. For example, we presume that the number of vaccines each provider receives will at least remain consistent and most likely increase as pharmaceutical companies develop a more robust supply chain.

    So how does all this impact Beaufort County? Let's start with the presumptions. Based on conversations with state officials, past shipments, and our partnerships with other county providers, we presume that Beaufort County will continue to receive at least 400 first shot doses per week, hence the reason for scheduling 400 appointments for each week of January.

    Now for the facts. On Thursday evenings, North Carolina provides us with the total number of vaccines we will receive for the following week. If we are scheduled to receive more than 400, we will expand our appointments accordingly for that week and issue a media release on how to schedule for those new appointments as soon as possible. If we will receive less than 400, we will cancel appointments accordingly and reschedule as soon as possible. (Cancellations will be messaged directly to the person scheduled using the communication methods provided when the appointment was made.)

    Beaufort County will physically receive those doses by carrier on Monday or Tuesday and will have until Friday to administer the entire quantity.

    This entire process is completed weekly for 1st dose vaccines.

    The 2nd vaccine dose uses an entirely different concept. Those shipments are received less frequently, and the quantities of those shipments are intended to provide you with enough 2nd dose vaccines to meet your current needs at any given time.

    Message from the Governor's Office and NCDHHS (1/14/21)     Please see the messages below pertaining to changes in the state's vaccine plan that were announced today by the Governor's Office and NCDHHS.

    The state has modified the various phases for vaccine prioritization as follows:


    Sent on behalf of the NC Department of Health and Human Services (1/14/21):

    Thank you for all you continue to do to support North Carolina's pandemic response!

    Our goal is to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible given the limited supply of vaccines. Today, we shared that vaccine providers that are ready to expand may vaccinate all health care workers and anyone 65 years and older.

    North Carolina moves through vaccination phases by aligning to federal priorities while empowering local health departments and hospitals with flexibility to move to the next priority group as they complete phases and have vaccines available. It is the responsibility of all vaccine providers to ensure equitable access to vaccines. This will mean taking intentional actions to reach and engage historically marginalized communities.

    As always, we rely on you as a trusted messenger to help people make informed decisions and take action. NC DHHS has created a suite of communications materials to help you be a spot for accurate information. You can use these resources to keep your networks and communities informed about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, as well as direct them to information that will help them find local vaccination sites. Available in both English and Spanish, the materials include general information about COVID-19 vaccinations and North Carolina's ongoing rollout that can help you inform people of all ages.

    In addition, we now have video testimonials that we hope you will use and share!

• Older North Carolinians, You Have A Spot, Take Your Shot
• (English / Spanish / Captioned)
• Governor Jim Hunt on the importance of taking the COVID-19 shot
• Reverend Darryl Warren Aaron of Providence Baptist Church, Greensboro on the
• importance of taking the COVID-19 shot.
• More videos are online.

    Our website, YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov, has flyers, fact sheets, postcards in English and Spanish that we ask you to post, print and handout in places where people visit, and share in newsletters. Check the website often for new materials.

    Please note: While the state has expanded the eligibility of vaccine recipients, the vaccination capabilities of Beaufort County and our supporting partners continue to be limited due to the scarce availability of vaccines. All vaccines that are currently on hand, and those presumed to arrive in the coming weeks have already been accounted for with scheduled appointments for front line health care providers and individuals 75 years of age and older. In short, we are prepared to expand our vaccination efforts, but we can not give vaccines that we do not have, nor have been given any indication of having in the future. We encourage everyone to continue to monitor local media outlets, Beaufort County's Health Department webpage HERE and this daily update for announcements pertaining to future vaccination expansion and scheduling opportunities.

    COVID Testing     Beaufort County will be hosting drive-thru testing in January 2021 as follows:

• Every Monday from 11am–5pm at Fresh Anointing Church
  (820 NC Hwy 33 Aurora, NC)
• Every Wednesday from 11am–5pm at The Wilkinson Center
  (144 W Main St. Belhaven, NC)
• Every Friday from 11am–5pm at Spring Garden Missionary Baptist Church
  (526 Gladden St. Washington, NC)
• Monday–Friday from 9am–Noon at Beaufort County's Health Department
  (1436 Highland Dr., Washington, NC)

    "Find My Testing Place"     Find a testing location near you by using the following link:     https://ncdhhs-covid19-dtra.powerappsportals.us/

    NC Community Spread Map (Updated: 12/18)     North Carolina health officials are utilizing a county alert system to pinpoint counties with the highest levels of COVID-19 spread. This new map uses metrics informed by the White House Coronavirus Task Force and North Carolina's key metrics to categorize counties into three tiers

• Yellow: Significant community spread
• Orange: Substantial community spread
• Red: Critical community spread

    Health officials are using a mix of criteria to determine what tier is assigned to a county. According to the state, a county must meet the threshold of case rate for that tier and meet the threshold for either percent positive or hospital impact in that county.

    Counties that do not meet criteria for orange or red tier are categorized as being in the yellow tier and should continue to be vigilant to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

    This map of North Carolina below shows which counties are in what tiers.


    Significant     There is significant community spread.     These counties should continue to be vigilant to prevent further spread of COVID-19, but they do not meet orange or red criteria

    Substantial     There is substantial community spread.     These counties have a case rate that is between 101-200 new cases per capita in 14 days with at least 21 cases in 14 days.

    The percent positive date is between 8% and 10%, or there is a moderate impact on county hospital(s).

    Critical     There is critical community spread.     These counties have a case rate that is greater than 200 new cases per capita in 14 days with at least 42 cases in 14 days.

    The percent positive date is greater than 10%, or there is a high impact on county hospital(s).

    Re-Opening Timeline / Guidelines     Governor Cooper has announced that North Carolina will move to a modified "Stay at Home Early Closure Order" beginning at 5p Friday, December 11th. (Executive Order 181). This new order will institute a statewide curfew and restrictions upon movement of persons between the hours of 10pm and 5am daily, with the following exceptions:

1. Travel to or from a place of work when a worker's presence is required by the worker's employer;
2. Travel for work purposes;
3. Performing work at the workplace or other location directed by the employer when the worker's presence is required by the worker's employer;
4. Travel to obtain groceries, take-out food, medical care, fuel, health care supplies, or social services;
5. Travel from a business that closed at or after 10:00 PM;
6. Travel to a business that will open at or after 5:00 AM;
7. Travel to take care of a family member, friend, or pet in another household;
8. Travel necessary for purposes of personal safety;
9. Travel into or out of the State;
10. Travel required by law enforcement or court order; and
11. Using or providing shared transportation (including without limitation taxicabs, ride shares, buses, trains, airplanes, and travel to airports, train stations, or bus stations)

    In addition, this new order will require retailers / businesses to stop alcohol sales at 9pm, and close between the hours of 10pm and 5am.

    NC Executive Orders     A complete list of current NC Executive Orders can be found HERE.

    Resources     We have created a resource page that can accessed at:     https://co.beaufort.nc.us/departments/human-services/public-health/2019-coronavirus-covid-19

    This resource page contains guidance for businesses, long term care facilities, families, and more.

    We are here to offer support and answer any questions or concerns. We are encouraging all community partners to share accurate information and promote it within your businesses, communities, and elsewhere. Beaufort County's website and Facebook page are great ways to stay up to date on accurate information.

• Chris Newkirk
• Deputy Director
• Beaufort County Emergency Services
• 1420 Highland Dr
• Washington, N.C. 27889
• Office: (252) 940-6511
• Cell: (252) 378-5352
• Chris.Newkirk@co.beaufort.nc.us