COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Feb. 9
Click here for updates for Feb. 10.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
NC death toll surpasses 10,000
At least 802,065 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 10,046 have died since March, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday reported 2,786 new COVID-19 cases, down from 3,084 reported the day before.
Fifty-five additional deaths were added to the total Tuesday.Deaths don’t occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.
At least 2,374 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Tuesday, up by four from the day before. It’s the first time the state reported an increase in statewide hospitalizations since Jan. 29.
As of Sunday, the latest day for which data are available, 9.3% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say the number should be about 5% or lower to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Senate passes bill requiring in-person learning option
The state Senate voted 29-15 on Tuesday in favor of a bill requiring public K-12 schools to give some in-person instruction.
Republicans and two Democrats — Sen. Kirk deViere of Cumberland County and Sen. Ben Clark, who represents Cumberland and Hoke counties — voted to pass the bill, which now moves to the state House of Representatives.
Under the bill, school districts would be required to offer a full-time, in-person instruction option — known as Plan A — to special needs students as well as either Plan A or Plan B, which requires 6 feet of social distancing, to all students.
Both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have agreed students should return to in-person learning as soon as possible but disagree on when that should be, The News & Observer reported.
Sen. Deanna Ballard, a Watauga County Republican and co-chair of the Senate education committee, said last week remote learning has resulted in learning loss for some students and making kids more anxious and depressed. But some Democrats expressed concern over allowing middle and high school students to go back under Plan A, which has minimal social distancing.
Oral drug could be used to prevent, treat COVID-19 infections
An oral drug tested by researchers at UNC Chapel Hill has shown to be “extremely effective” at preventing and treating COVID-19 infections, according to a study published Tuesday in the scientific journal Nature.
The drug, EIDD-2801, was tested on human lung tissue implanted in mice and prevented the virus from reproducing.
“This is something that is giving us hope that there might be an alternative that can be available in addition to the vaccine to help with the pandemic,” J. Victor Garcia, the director of UNC’s International Center for the Advancement of Translational Science and the paper’s senior author, told The News & Observer.
EIDD-2801 would not take the place of vaccines because it does not offer long-term protection, The News & Observer reported. But it could be helpful in long-term care facilities to curb the the course of someone’s illness while also preventing infection in those around them.
Company that makes remdesivir to add NC jobs
A biotechnology company that makes the COVID-19 treatment remdesivir is adding almost 300 jobs in the Raleigh area.
California-based Gilead Sciences plans to bring the workers to a Wake County office in the next two years, The News & Observer reported Tuesday.
The N.C. Economic Investment Committee approved a nearly $10 million incentive package, which requires Gilead to reach specific milestones for investment and hiring.
“We are eager to welcome many of the highly talented, highly skilled people who live in the Research Triangle region to work with us as we seek to advance new medicines for people with unmet medical needs,” Andrew Dickinson, chief financial officer for the company, said in a statement.
Charlotte receives COVID-19 relief funds
The Charlotte city council on Monday directed $27 million in federal relief money to help with housing costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
The RAMPCLT program is expected to help 15,000 customers pay utilities and 5,300 households with rent. Residents who are eligible include those with a risk of losing housing and those experiencing pandemic-related income losses, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.
Applications for housing assistance opened Tuesday, and program information is outlined at rampclt.com.
NC not prioritizing teacher vaccinations now
North Carolina is prioritizing people ages 65 and up before giving COVID-19 vaccines to teachers.
The state has limited doses of the vaccine, and it could take a “few weeks” until teachers and other frontline workers can get their shots, according to Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We want to get people 65 and older vaccinated because that’s where we’re seeing 83% of the deaths right now in North Carolina from COVID-19,” Gov. Roy Cooper said last week.
Some advocacy groups have pushed Cooper to give school workers higher spots in the vaccine line. Some North Carolina school districts have partnered with health departments to get their employees vaccinated.
In Charlotte, an upcoming vaccination clinic is set to include some teachers from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Dr. David Priest, an infectious disease expert at Novant Health, said the hospital system is teaming up with the district to identify teachers ages 65 and older.
The vaccine event, scheduled for Saturday at the Spectrum Center, isn’t accepting appointments from the general public, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.
More NC residents say they will get vaccinated, poll shows
A growing number of North Carolina residents in a new poll said they would get a COVID-19 vaccine.
About half of people who hadn’t been vaccinated said they are interested in getting the shots when eligible. It’s an increase from 33% of respondents in October and 40% in December, results show.
The latest figures come from an online Elon University poll of 1,455 state residents, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.
About one-forth of North Carolinians said they were “not sure” if they would get vaccinated, and a majority were worried about possible side effects, results show.
Harris Teeter plans to pay workers to get vaccine
Harris Teeter said it plans to pay workers who get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The North Carolina-based grocery store chain is giving a $100 incentive to employees when they receive the vaccine’s recommended doses.
The retailer, which has about 35,000 workers across seven states and the District of Columbia, is joining other retailers to offer vaccine-related incentives. Harris Teeter “strongly encouraged” eligible employees to get vaccines, according to company spokesperson Danna Robinson.
UNC game postponed after video of maskless players surfaces
A UNC men’s basketball game was postponed after two maskless Tar Heel players were seen in a video.
The decision impacted a game that had been scheduled against the University of Miami Hurricanes on Monday night.
“The postponement follows a meeting of personnel from both schools, who mutually concluded the game could not move forward today,” the ACC said in a news release.
Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga said a video showing UNC players Day’Ron Sharpe and Armando Bacot with no masks at a gathering led to the postponement, the Miami Herald reported.
“There was a video that was out there with several of their players without masks at a party at 1 a.m. Sunday morning, which is less than 48 hours from our game,” Larranaga said. “Our president [Julio] Frenk is adamant that student-athletes are allowed to compete, but they’ve got to stay safe, social distance.”
The team apologized in a joint statement on Tuesday from players and managers.
“Our intention was to celebrate privately within our group,” they said. “Unfortunately, we allowed several friends who are not members of the team to join the gathering. We were inside and not wearing masks, which were mistakes. We apologize for not adhering to the University’s and athletic department’s guidelines and apologize to Coach Williams and his staff for not stepping forward when he first addressed it with us on Sunday. We have worked too hard for eight months doing the right things to make those kinds of mistakes at this point in the season.”
UNC leaders on Monday also continued to share their disappointment after about 1,000 people crowded Franklin Street last weekend to celebrate the Tar Heels’ win over Duke.
“As of Monday morning, Student Conduct has received more than 300 referrals since Saturday night,” said Amy Johnson, vice chancellor for student affairs.
Plans for vaccination megasite ‘on pause’
Plans to open a mass vaccination megasite in Durham County this month are “on pause” until there are adequate doses, health officials said Monday.
The county had planned to partner with Duke University and the state’s Office of Emergency Management to open a clinic in the early weeks of February, The News & Observer reported.
But the state will not move forward with the project until there are more supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine, Health Director Rod Jenkins told county commissioners.
“It’s not necessarily the best news that we want to hear, but I’m confident that when supplies become a little bit more robust, that that is going to go back on,” he said.
Two Triangle school districts announce lunch plans
Two school districts in the Triangle have announced plans for breakfast and lunch as students return to campuses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Orange County Schools said students would eat outside, unless temperatures dip below freezing or there’s nowhere to shelter from pouring rain. The announcement drew backlash from some parents, The News & Observer reported Monday.
The school system, which reopened to kindergarten and first grade students on Jan. 25, won’t bring other grade levels back for in-person classes until April.
In nearby Wake County, students will be required to stay on campuses during lunch time. The district is also using stricter social distancing guidance when children start to return to campuses Feb. 15.
During the coronavirus pandemic, meal times pose risks because they are one of the only times during the school day that masks aren’t required.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 7:10 AM.
