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FRIDAY MORNING STORYLINES
128 cases of COVID-19 were detected in the public school system in Wake County between December 10 and December 16. The virus was found in 69 students and 59 staff members. A cluster was reported at Lynn Road Elementary School in Raleigh.
The latest findings are an increase from December 3-9 in which 84 cases were discovered in WCPSS. More information about the district can be found here.
Nearly six million doses of Moderna vaccine are ready for shipment and FDA approval for emergency use is expected to appear soon. Rural areas and nursing homes will be the first to receive the vaccine because it does not require ultra-cold storage, such as the Pfizer vaccine.
WakeMed Hospitals will begin administering vaccines starting Friday morning. More than 200 employees will be vaccinated on Friday and more than 300 on Saturday.
Vice President Mike Pence is due to receive the Pfizer vaccine on Friday at 8 p.m.
On Thursday, Governor Cooper said it was up to all North Carolinaers to help protect those at the front line and those most at risk. Cooper visited UNC Medical Center, where front-line workers received the vaccine.
“We owe it to them to do simple things, like wear a mask and stay socially distant and be responsible and smart about how we act, we owe it to them,” Cooper said.
A COVID-19 testing clinic is being held at Greater Holy Walltown United Church in Durham. The clinic is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is sponsored by North Carolina Central University.
THURSDAY
7:50 p.m.
Moore County Health Department reports two new outbreaks of COVID-19 among its long-term care facilities.
Health officials said four residents and seven Coventry staff at 105 Gossman Drive, Southern Pines tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, two staff members and an OEN resident tested positive for COVID-19 at Elmcroft at 101 Brucewood Road, Southern Pines.
5:45 p.m.
With students scheduled to return to school on a Schedule B schedule starting Jan. 7, Cumberland County Superintendent of Schools (CCS) Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr., announced the decision to adjust the re-entry schedule to allows a weekly incubation period of the virus after the holidays
“We realize that there are many factors to consider around this transition,” said Dr. Connelly. “We had to consider medical values, staff training and construction, student success with e-learning, students who are not successful with e-learning, the impact of e-learning on students’ social and emotional well-being and the impact on families economically and economically emotionally. All things considered, the safety and well-being of students and staff are our number one priority. “
The actual re-entry plans and procedures remain the same; however, the data were adjusted. The updated district re-entry program is conditioned by values and other factors that administrators monitor.
3:36 p.m..m.
Lee County Health Department said a county resident died as a result of COVID-19 complications. This is the 38th confirmed COVID-19 death in Lee County.
2:30 p.m.
According to the latest report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, obtained by ABC News, North Carolina is in the red zone for cases and for the positivity of the test.
The state is 35th in the country for cases and 31st for test positivity, with 98% of all NC counties having “moderate or high levels of community transmission” and 60% having high levels of community transmission.
1:06 p.m.
The Halifax County Health Department reported a total of 2,424 positive COVID cases 19, including 23 new cases on Thursday.
An additional death was reported, which led to the total number of the county in 44 – 1.8% of cases.
At 13:00
North Carolina continues to see a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations – surpassing 2,800 on Thursday.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said 2,804 people had been hospitalized with COVID-19.
In the last 24 hours, 320 confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized. 312 suspected patients were also hospitalized during that time.
North Carolina on Thursday also exceeded 6,000 related to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. To date, a total of 6,065 have been reported.
5,786 new cases were reported.
The positive percentage is 11.7 percent.
12:36 pm
Sampson County reports 63 new cases of COVID-19. He also had 79 cases on Wednesday. The county has a total of 4,569 positive cases.
One death was reported on Thursday, bringing the total to 56 at the county level.
12 pm
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it has selected 17 school districts and 11 charter schools to participate in a pilot COVID-19 rapid testing program in K-12 public schools where any personal instruction is conducted. .
The purpose of the rapid testing program is to slow the spread of COVID-19 by quickly identifying students and staff who may have the virus, especially after the holiday season. Schools and districts selected for the program offer full in-person instruction (Plan A) or hybrid distance and in-person instruction (Plan B).
The NCDHHS sent more than 50,000 federally funded rapid antigen tests to selected districts and schools. The tests are to be used for students and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 or who are in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Students and staff will have access to over 200 school testing locations in 17 counties as part of the pilot. The local health departments in each county have participated in the application process and in some cases will help with testing.
More information is available here.
10:10
Dr. Jason Wittes, director of pharmacy in Wake County, said that the supply of COVID-19 vaccine is low and has just been delivered in recent days. It is expected to be months before enough doses are produced for all those who need the vaccine.
In phase 1 of the distribution process, the county will vaccinate SMEs, health workers at risk of exposure in clinics and prisons, public health and protection services for adults and children working with the vulnerable.
As cases of # COVID-19 keep climbing in Wake County, a safe and effective vaccine will help us defend against the virus. Everyone who wants a vaccine will eventually get one. But, it is important to understand that the vaccination process will take months. – Dr. Jason Wittes
– Wake County, NC (@WakeGOV) December 17, 2020
“We’re so close,” said WakeMed CEO Donald Gintzig. “This is the stretch from home. We don’t let our guard down, we double down. We encourage everyone to stay vigilant with 3W and receive flu shots. The more vigilant we are, the more we will survive the winter together.”
WakeMed expects a shipment of about 3,900 doses on Thursday, and WakeMed employees will begin vaccination on Friday.
7:55 in the morning
Wake County Commissioner Matt Mattabria will hold a press conference on Thursday at 10 a.m. to provide an update on the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Wake County and to discuss distribution plans for Wake County. vaccines. The update will be broadcast live on abc11.com.
The state considers Wake County an “orange / substantial level” county with a substantial community spread of COVID-19.
7:15 am
The United States again set a record for the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 on Wednesday.
According to Johns Hopkins University, another 3,656 people died from the virus. It is the fourth time since the beginning of the pandemic that more than 3,000 people have died in a single day due to the virus. The previous record of 3,300 deaths was recorded on December 11th.
In addition, there were 247,403 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed Wednesday in the United States – another record. It is the 44th consecutive day that the US has reported more than 100,000 new infections. The previous record of 231,775 in a single day was set for December 11.
Nearly 17 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March. At that time, more than 307,000 died from the virus.
THURSDAY LINES OF STORIES
The FDA plans to review the Modern COVID-19 vaccine during a committee meeting Thursday morning. A vote to authorize emergency use is scheduled for later in the afternoon.
If licensed, it would be the second vaccine available for widespread use in the United States.
Six million doses are ready to be delivered with Governor Roy Cooper, who plans to receive 175,000 doses in North Carolina. The woman from Orange County, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a researcher and scientific leader at the National Institutes of Health, is one of the scientists responsible for creating the Moderna vaccine.
SEE ALSO | Here is a list of comparisons of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines
WakeMed is expected to receive the first delivery of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, and front-line workers will get their vaccine starting Friday. WakeMed hospitals will receive a total of 3,900 doses of vaccine. Durham VA will begin taking photos on Thursday, and Duke Health plans to vaccinate another 400 staff members.
A church in Hendersonville is connected to a COVID-19 outbreak. The First Baptist Church interrupts church activities for 30 days after a Christmas holiday is believed to have caused 72 COVID-19 cases.
The Duke women’s basketball team interrupted all team activities after two positive COVID-19 tests. Duke’s game this weekend against NC State has been postponed.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons says correctional officers and health personnel will receive the vaccine before detainees. The first shipment of vaccines to federal prisons arrived Wednesday.
Copyright © 2020 ABC11-WTVD-TV / DT. All rights reserved – The Associated Press contributed to this report.