NC coronavirus update August 18: Governor Roy Cooper to provide COVID update this afternoon as state reports increase in cases in children



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RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – North Carolina, like many other states across the country, is seeing a slight increase in COVID-19 cases.
WEDNESDAY MORNING TITLES

Governor Roy Cooper will speak on Wednesday afternoon about the current COVID-19 outbreak in North Carolina, particularly among children.

Cooper has scheduled a 3 p.m. briefing with other state officials. You can watch this live on ABC11 and stream on the ABC11 North Carolina app.

The NCDHHS reports that 6,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 last week. This represents about 5,600 the previous week. The same report showed 19 COVID-19 clusters in K-12 schools and 31 daycare clusters – a massive jump from just 9 three weeks ago.

WATCH: Granville County mourns teenage death from COVID-19

The measures are of particular concern for parents of children under 12, who are still not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I’m a little worried just because she’s too young for the vaccination. She has to wear a mask every day. I just don’t know how the kids are going to do honestly,” said Kara Lewis.

This happens less than a week before school starts for the majority of students in North Carolina’s largest school district. The Wake County public school system continues to tout its COVID-19 protocols, saying it will do everything possible to keep students and the classroom safe.

Masks are mandatory regardless of vaccination status, lunch hours have been shortened and will be done with as little talk as possible, and seating maps are required throughout the school to allow easier contact tracing.

Wayne County Public Schools are changing course – now requiring all students and staff to wear masks indoors.

Classes at UNC will begin today for the fall semester. Some faculty and staff spent the first half of the week trying to get principals to delay the start of in-person classes due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Instead, the UNC requires that students and staff be fully immunized or get tested regularly. Masks are also mandatory indoors for everyone.

Anyone attending a Carolina Panthers football game this year will be required to wear masks in all indoor spaces. This same policy will be in place for the two college football games scheduled at Bank of America Stadium this year.

Additionally, Moore County now requires masks for anyone entering government buildings.

And finally, the City of Cary’s exterior mask mandate comes into effect Wednesday at 5 p.m.

WATCH: How Raleigh Companies Enforce Mask Mandate

TUESDAY
11 o’clock in the evening
At a Wake County School Board meeting on Tuesday, health and safety protocols were discussed.

At a previous meeting, the board of directors voted unanimously to require masks.

Seating plans will be mandatory in classrooms, cafeterias and on buses.

As with a quarantine policy, teachers should have daily communication with a student and provide them with access to meaningful and aligned learning resources. Students or families should not go several days without receiving one-on-one communication from their teacher.

When an exhibit requires the entire class to be quarantined, the classroom will go virtual where possible, including live instruction during the quarantine period.

“We can see clusters, we can see more clusters, we have often said that as we have seen COVID in the community, we will see it in schools, so our job is to mitigate the spread,” said the president Keith Sutton. “We are ready, we are delighted to be reunited with our students and we imagine that these parents are delighted to be resuming teaching face to face.”

5:30 p.m.
The Carolina Panthers have said all guests and staff are required to wear masks in interior spaces, including interior lobbies on the 300 and 400 levels.

Face coverings are not required outdoors. Masks will be available at stadium entry points as well as at customer relations and security posts.

As recommended by public health officials, guests who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear a mask in all areas.

“Our stadium operations staff have worked diligently to provide a safe and enjoyable game experience,” said the Panthers. “Many of the same protocols that were used in 2020 will remain, including cashless transactions, mobile ticketing, improved cleaning procedures, and hand sanitizing stations throughout the stadium. We will continue to monitor public health guidelines. and communicate any other updates. “

4:00 p.m.
Wake County Public Health has confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19 at the following facilities:

  • Cary Health and Rehabilitation Center at 6590 Tryon Road in Cary. This is the centre’s fourth outbreak, with previous outbreaks occurring in June 2020, November 2020 and December 2020.
  • Wellington Rehabilitation and Healthcare at 1000 Tandal Place in Knightdale. This is the establishment’s third outbreak. Previous outbreaks occurred in April and December 2020.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services defines an outbreak as two or more people – residents or employees – who test positive for the virus.

14:47
The Moore County Department of Health will begin administering the third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from August 25 to people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems who have already received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccine. 19.

Appointments for boosters should be scheduled by calling (910) 947-SHOT (7468). No appointment will be accepted.

The health service appointment line is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“With the rapid increase in hospitalizations and the number of cases in recent weeks, we want to offer the greatest possible protection against vaccination, especially to one of our most vulnerable populations – the immunocompromised,” said the director of health, Robert Wittmann.

Moore County Health Unit, located at 705 Pinehurst Ave. in Carthage, continues to offer weekly COVID-19 vaccination clinics to anyone seeking their first or second dose. Appointments can be made by calling (910) 947-SHOT (7468) and walk-in visits for the first or second dose will also be accepted on immunization clinic days, which take place every Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

2:37 p.m.
As of Wednesday, a requirement to cover the face will be reinstated at all government facilities in Moore County.

The executive decree does not require the face covering for certain situations, including people with certain medical or behavioral conditions or disabilities.

It also does not apply to:

  • Anyone who has difficulty breathing, or is unconscious or unable, or otherwise unable to put on or take off the face covering without assistance
  • Eats or drinks actively
  • Seeks to communicate with a hearing-impaired person in a way that requires the mouth to be visible
  • Gives a speech for a show or in front of an audience
  • Works from home or is in a personal vehicle
  • Temporarily removes face covering to obtain government or medical services or for identification purposes
  • Would be at risk from wearing a face covering at work, as determined by local, state or federal regulations or occupational safety guidelines
  • Found that his face cover interferes with visibility when operating equipment or vehicle
  • Is a child whose parent, guardian or caregiver has not been able to place the face covering securely on the child’s face

1:05 p.m.
IBMA World of Bluegrass will require proof of vaccination for anyone attending the event.

The festival is scheduled to take place from September 28 to October 2 in Raleigh.

“In the interest of safety and a rapidly changing health environment for all participants, volunteers and performers, the Board of Directors of the International Bluegrass Music Association has unanimously approved changes to the health protocols. and security of the event, ”organizers said in a statement. declaration.

The event will not allow any exceptions to its vaccination policy. Participants must show proof of vaccination when registering at the festival.

In addition, masks will also be mandatory for all indoor activities.

Anyone who has purchased tickets in the past but does not wish to follow the updated health and safety policy will be offered a refund.

12:20
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 3,575 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The increase in cases comes as the percentage of positive tests jumped to 13.5% – the highest in a week. The percentage of positive tests has been over 10% for more than two weeks.

Currently, 2,828 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase of more than 150 people from the previous day. There are 708 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units across the state – a month ago there were 160. This means the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units has more than quadrupled in the last month.

TUESDAY MORNING NEWS
The City of Cary is giving back its interior mask mandate. Starting Wednesday at 5 p.m., anyone in Cary will need to wear a mask if they wish to enter the buildings.

UNC teachers and staff are asking the school to stop in-person classes before they start on Wednesday.

So far, a few hundred people have signed the petition, which calls for classes to be online only for the first four to six weeks.

U.S. experts should recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after receiving their second dose of the vaccine, to ensure long-lasting protection against the coronavirus as the delta variant wears off. spread across the country.

Federal health officials have been actively pursuing whether additional injections for those vaccinated would be needed as early as this fall, looking at the number of cases in the United States as well as the situation in other countries like Israel, where preliminary studies suggest that vaccine protection against serious illness fell among those vaccinated in January.

An announcement on the U.S. recall recommendation was expected as early as this week, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

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