COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Oct. 29
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Death toll passes 18,000
At least 1,477,514 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 18,050 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reported 2,366 new COVID-19 cases, down from 2,493 on Thursday
There were 73 additional coronavirus-related deaths reported Friday. Health officials don’t specify the specific dates for the newly reported deaths.
At least 1,335 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, including 394 adults who are patients in intensive care units, health officials said.
On Wednesday, the latest date with available information, 4.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 71% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 67% have been fully vaccinated. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
NC provider allowing parents to pre-book child vaccine appointments
A North Carolina medical provider is letting parents sign up to get COVID-19 vaccines for their children.
StarMed Healthcare, which has a presence in the Charlotte area, is allowing parents of younger kids to book ahead for doses of the Pfizer vaccine, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
The provider is offering those appointments on its website after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted to support shots for 5- to 11-year-olds. If the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorize the vaccines for those age groups next week, StarMed said it expects to get its first doses by Thursday.
Dr. Arin Piramzadian, chief medical officer, said more than 892,000 kids across North Carolina are eligible to be vaccinated and that the timing for the shots is “crucial” due to the upcoming holiday season.
“Obviously if you want to be with your families safely and kids aren’t spreading it to grandma and grandpa, this is the way to do it,” Piramzadian said.
Wake schools could give bonuses to thank those working during COVID
A Triangle-area school district is considering bonuses and raises to recognize “employee efforts and service during the pandemic.”
The Wake County school board is expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday, just as districts across the country have experienced staffing shortages.
If approved, the district could offer a “$1,250 retention bonus, raising employee salaries to a minimum of $13 an hour and a 1% increase in the local salary supplement paid to teachers,” The News & Observer reported Friday.
Duke doctor talks vaccines for children 5-11
Dr. Emmanuel “Chip” Walter Jr., a pediatrician and chief medical officer at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, said children ages 5 to 11 should be vaccinated against the coronavirus both for their own immunity and for their parents’ protection.
“We have to be able to afford children the same protection from COVID through vaccination that we afford to adults. I think that is the right thing to do,” Walter said. “My advice to parents is this is the best way to protect your child from serious illness and potentially death from COVID.”
An FDA advisory panel recommended earlier this week that children ages 5 to 11 receive child-size doses of the Pfizer vaccine under emergency-use authorization, finding the benefits outweighed the risks.
Walter — who led a clinical trial at Duke with 3,000 kids who received the Pfizer vaccine and another 1,500 who received a placebo — agreed with the panel’s finding, The News & Observer reported. He said testing under the emergency use process is done quickly but still meets all the same safety standards.
“What may be slightly different is how long the follow-up is. .... But ultimately all of these children are being followed for the same period of time that you would normally do.”
What parts of the Triangle are keeping mask mandates?
The town of Cary will end its mask mandate at 12:01 a.m. on Friday as COVID-19 metrics continue to fall.
The mandate has been in effect since Aug. 18, The News & Observer reported. Cary is the first in the Triangle to discontinue its mask requirement. Wake County, meanwhile, is expected to extend its current mandate when it expires Nov. 1.
Raleigh has its own mandate and has refrained from relaxing it until Wake does. Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told The N&O that’s to “be consistent in our message.”
Mask mandates in Durham and Orange counties are in effect indefinitely. Officials there said they won’t end the requirements until community spread and the strain on hospitals decreases.
Downtown Raleigh showing some improvement
Downtown Raleigh has seen economic recovery in recent months, but there’s room for improvement if the city wants to have the momentum it saw before COVID-19, a new third-quarter report shows.
“We’re headed in really good direction and the outlook is good,” said Will Gaskins, economic development and planning director at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. “But we’re just not quite there as far as being back to fully pre-pandemic levels.”
Compared with difficult periods in 2020, sectors such as retail and housing are seeing improvement. Also, with widely available vaccines, eased coronavirus-related restrictions and more downtown options, pedestrian traffic is up 126% from last year, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
How COVID changed the Triangle job market
After the pandemic forced some Triangle businesses to make layoffs, some have struggled to find workers as coronavirus-related restrictions ease.
While many companies have open positions, some workers hoping for better conditions on the job, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
At Locals Oyster Bar, head chef and part-owner Eric Montagne said it has only a few vacancies after making changes to the way the business compensates employees.
“We had wanted to do these things, but the pandemic really gave us a sense of urgency that it needed to happen now,” Montagne said. “It couldn’t wait any longer.”
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 7:13 AM.
