Beaufort County Emergency Management: COVID-19 Update (4-13-20) | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

4/12/2020 Beaufort County, NC
COVID-19 SITREP
Updates from our previous posting have been highlighted.

The following information is as of 5pm.


    Case Statistics
 PopulationTotal
Confirmed Cases
Current
Active Cases
DeathsRecovered
Worldwide7.6 Billion136,284,991
(+2,084,661)
55,770,989
(+691,435)
2,940,601
(+33,816)
77,573,401
(+1,359,410)
USA330 Million31,932,999
(+201,568)
6,865,257
(-18,544)
575,934
(+1,919)
24,491,808
(+218,193)
NC10.4 Million935,061
(+5,655)
22,597
(-6,837)
12,290
(+42)
900,174
(+12,450)
Beaufort Co.47,0004,421
(+13)
39
(+9)
93
4,289
(+4)
*Text in red or green indicates changes since our last update.*
The following information was current as of 3:00pm and reflects changes that have occurred since Friday 4/9.

  • NC has had a total 935,061 confirmed cases, with 12,290 deaths. Our state currently has 22,597 active cases and 904 hospitalizations.
    • Beaufort County has had a total of 4,421 cases, with 39 currently active, and no hospitalizations.
  • All active cases are self-isolating.
  • Eastern NC counties with total confirmed cases include: Beaufort (4,421), Bertie (1,711), Bladen (3,131), Brunswick (8,758), Camden (631), Carteret (4,872), Chowan (1,407), Columbus (6,178), Craven (8,996), Currituck (1,478), Dare (2,025), Duplin (6,061), Edgecombe (5,205), Gates (710), Greene (2,227), Halifax (5,335), Hertford (2,035), Hyde (647), Jones (792), Lenoir (5,705), Martin (2,179), New Hanover (18,111), Northampton (1,823), Onslow (15,703), Pamlico (1,097), Pasquotank (3,216), Pender (5,124), Perquimans (950), Pitt (18,548) Sampson (7,554), Tyrrell (310) Washington (1,035), Wayne (10,692) and Wilson (9,237). Mecklenburg (105,654), Wake (82,833), Guilford (44,402) 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.*


We Need Your Help

We want to hear from you!

    We value your input and want to use it to direct our vaccine efforts and outreach.

Please help us by completing this quick SURVEY!



    Vaccine Opportunities
    J&J Vaccine First Come, First Serve Drive Thru — Friday 4/16

    Beaufort County's Health Departent will be hosting a first come, first serve drive thru using the J&J vaccine on Friday 4/16 from 2pm–6pm at Beaufort County Community College.


    The following Beaufort County providers are now offering vaccines:

    – Agape (Washington) Call: 252-940-0602 for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    – Beaufort County Health Department (Washington, Chocowinity & Aurora): Call 252-940-6150 or click HERE for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    – O'Neals Pharmacy (Belhaven, Chocowinity, Washington): Call 252-946-9631 or click HERE for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    – Vidant Internal Medicine (Washington): Call 252-946-2101 or click HERE for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    – Vidant Specialty Clinic (Belhaven): Call 252-943-0600 or click HERE for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    – Walgreens (Washington): Call 252-940-1529 for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    – Walgreens (Belhaven): Call 252-943-6260 for more information and / or to schedule an appointment.

    *Vidant Health also continues to offer vaccines at the Greenville Convention Center. Please call 252-847-8000 or visit HERE for more information or to schedule an appointment.*

    A video tutorial of Vidant's scheduling process can be found HERE.


    Vaccine Information
    Vaccine Safety
    On Thursday (4/8) media outlets reported that Wake County's PNC Vaccine Clinic suspended administration of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine after several recipients were reported to have had adverse reactions such as nausea, dizziness, fainting and one allergic reaction. These instances have been investigated by local health officials as well as CDC representatives. Their investigation determined 2,300 people received the J&J vaccine yesterday. Of those, 18 people were found to have experienced adverse reactions, meaning that 0.78% of vaccine recipients had a reaction.

    WRAL News spoke with Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist at UNC Health about these instances. Dr. Wohl was reported to have made the following statements.

    "Over the next couple of days, health experts will study safety reports, look at every reaction and look at ways to calm those who are nervous around the shot.

    I don't think this is an allergic reaction. Most of the people that I've seen here today who have felt faint have a history of feeling faint, especially around needles. So, it's really hard," explained Wohl. "We're also vaccinating different people than we did before. Often times, people take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because they are adverse to needles and they don't want to take a shot. We're just trying to make sure if it's the vaccine or the people taking the vaccine or a combination of both."

    Health experts from the CDC did not find any safety issues or reasons for concern and have recommended that vaccination efforts continue.

    The complete WRAL article can be viewed HERE.

    Beaufort County providers, who have primarily given Moderna and J&J vaccines, have reported observing very few reactions at the time of vaccine administration. Of these few cases, the most common symptom has been described as "light headedness" or "felling faint", primarily by individuals who do not like needles and / or receiving shots. There has also only been 1 reported allergic reaction, which resulted in a rash at the injection site.

    The most common side effect reported from recipients of these vaccines has been fever / chills and a general "tired" feeling. These symptoms typically develop 4 to 8 hours after receiving the vaccine, and last for 12 to 24 hours. These symptoms also appear to be more common with individuals below the age of 65. While these symptoms can be an inconvenience, they are less severe and much shorter in duration that the symptoms caused by COVID-19 infections.

    Please refer to the following links for safety information, side effects and effectiveness of each of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines.

    J&J Fact Sheet

    Moderna Fact Sheet

    Pfizer Fact Sheet


    Vaccine Eligibility
    NCDHHS has announced that individuals age 16 and up are now eligible to receive the vaccine. However, Pfizer is currently the only vaccine approved for this age group. Most of Beaufort County's Providers have Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, both of which are only approved for individuals 18 years of age and older.

    Pfizer vaccines are available at participating Walgreen Pharmacies as well as Vidant's Greenville Vaccine Clinic. (Please see above the contact information for these locations.)


    Beaufort County’s Vaccine Efforts
    As of Thursday (4/8), approximately 28,879 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Beaufort County residents. 16,143 of our county’s residents have received their first dose and 12,736 residents have completed the two shot series.

    Beaufort County providers remain committed in our efforts to vaccinate all those who are interested in the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly and efficiently as possible. Please continue to monitor HERE for updated information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the transitions as we move through the various phases of vaccination.

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    Transportation Assistance to Vaccine Appointments
    Beaufort County remains committed to the goal of providing vaccinations to all eligible citizens as quickly as possible. If you have an appointment to receive the vaccine, and are unable to secure transportation to the vaccine site on your own, please call Beaufort Area Transit System (BATS) for assistance at (252) 946-5778.


    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.


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

  • Every Monday from 11 AM–4 PM at Fresh Anointing Church (820 NC Hwy 33 Aurora, NC)
  • Every Tuesday from 9 AM–1 PM at Cornerstone Church (1918W 5th St. Washington, NC)
  • Every Wednesday from 11 AM–5 PM at The Wilkinson Center (144 W Main St. Belhaven, NC)
  • Every Friday from 11 AM–5 PM at Spring Garden Missionary Baptist Church (526 Gladden St. Washington, NC)
  • Monday–Friday from 8:30 AM–11:30 AM 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: 3/27)
    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

  1. Green: Low Community Spread
  2. Light Yellow: Moderate Community Spread
  3. Yellow: Significant Community Spread
  4. Orange: Substantial Community Spread
  5. Red: Critical Community Spread

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




    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

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Statement by President Joe Biden on the Electric Battery Dispute Settlement Regional Health System, Government, Governing Beaufort County J&J Vaccine Drive Thru, First Come First Serve, Friday April 16th 2pm–6pm

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