NC Gov. Cooper urges people to get ‘God-given’ vaccinations as COVID-19 cases rise
Gov. Roy Cooper continued his push for COVID-19 vaccinations Thursday, calling them “God-given” and “miraculous” while emphasizing it’s up to North Carolinians to behave safely when it comes to protecting themselves.
The governor’s update came as the state approaches two straight weeks with more than 900 patients in intensive care, a high mark from the pandemic’s beginning. North Carolina has now recorded 15,004 deaths connected to COVID-19.
“How many more people have to get sick and die because people don’t get this miraculous, God-given, effective and extraordinarily safe vaccine?” Cooper asked at a news conference at the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh. “How many more people will have to witness the painful, cruel death of a loved one to finally see that vaccines are the way out of this?”
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported last month that more than 90% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of NC DHHS, said the state’s hospitals are “strained but not overwhelmed.” She said there may be a “glimmer of positive news” in the trajectory of new cases, seeing a leveling off of people who come to the emergency department with COVID-19 like symptoms, since earlier in the summer.
Still, Cohen said, of those sick in the ICU, most are younger than 49.
President Joe Biden gave a speech Thursday about the national response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Associated Press reported that Biden was expected to sign a new executive order requiring vaccinations for executive branch employees and federal contractors. The Biden Administration previously required vaccinations or regular testing and masks.
Biden also was expected to require private companies that employ at least 100 people to require the vaccine or get tested weekly, according to The Washington Post.
In North Carolina, Cooper has required about 55,000 state employees of Cabinet agencies to show proof of vaccination or be tested weekly and wear masks. The deadline for submitting documentation about vaccine status or tests was Sept. 8. The governor told reporters on Thursday that it will be another week before they have the data about the vaccination rate of those employees. DHHS employees at all state-run health care facilities are required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30.
According to the latest NC DHHS data, 65% of North Carolinians age 12 and older have received at least one vaccine dose, with 59% fully vaccinated. For those age 18 and older, 67% are at least partially vaccinated and 62% are fully vaccinated.
“These safe and effective vaccines are available across our state regardless of whether you have health insurance,” Cooper said. “They are free. If you’re unsure about getting one, get off social media and get on the phone with your doctor. That’s the best place for accurate medical information.”
Local decisions and schools
Cohen said people should take a “layered” approach to protecting themselves: getting a vaccine, wearing a mask and getting tested for COVID-19.
Cooper continued to say that he is considering all options for handling the pandemic but declined to issue any statewide restrictions.
“We are laser-focused on getting people vaccinated,” Cooper said.
While there has been no statewide mask mandate in months, there are local mask mandates in place across the state, including in Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte.
Cooper also has left mask mandates for students to be decided at the local school district level, though he and Cohen have strongly recommended that they be required. Nearly all school districts now require masks in schools for students, staff and visitors.
The governor said Thursday that 109 of the state’s school districts, or 96%, are now requiring masks. He hoped local school boards would move toward getting more teachers vaccinated.
Union County, one of three districts making masks optional, now reports 5,410 students and staff quarantined between Aug. 30 and Sept. 30. Of those, 367 tested positive for COVID-19 — 40 of them from Parkwood High School.
Asked about Union County, Cooper noted the school board’s vote on voluntary masks had been a close vote. ”I hope they will change their mind on this,” he said.
Cohen said that the increasing number of school districts requiring them means they are “heading in the right direction.”
“Our focus has been to keep kids in the classroom and keep them there safely,” she said.
Cooper was asked if he would mandate vaccinations for teachers, which he has previously said should be left to their employers, the local school districts. On Thursday, Biden called on more states to require vaccinations for teachers and school staff.
“All options remain on the table,” Cooper said, noting the vaccination verification that started for most state employees this month.
“I hope that local school systems will move toward this. I hope more teachers will understand that it’s really important to protect their students, for them to get vaccinated. It’s also important to protect themselves,” Cooper said.
COVID-19 vaccines are free and available across the state for everyone age 12 and older. Visit covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines to find a location.
This story was originally published September 9, 2021 at 3:52 PM.
.jpg)