COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 4
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 2,200 cases added
At least 1,487,656 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 18,211 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 2,201 new coronavirus cases, up from 1,777 on Wednesday.
There were 20 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 1,173 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, including 345 adults who are patients in intensive care units, health officials said.
On Tuesday, 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.
Drop in school enrollment causes budget cuts
School districts in North Carolina are at risk of losing more than $100 million in state funding because of a drop in enrollment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Data show enrollment so far this school year is down 4.3% from the 2019-2020 school year, The News & Observer reported.
Because the districts were preliminarily funded by the state based on pre-COVID enrollment numbers, the N.C. Justice Center says they are now at risk of seeing “destabilizing mid-year budget reductions totaling $132 million.”
“We do not have sufficient resources in place to serve the academic, social and emotional needs of our students and classrooms today, and we absolutely have to do more to ensure that every child has access to a sound basic education,” Mary Ann Wolf, president of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, said in a statement.
Cooper says kids getting vaccinated is ‘responsible thing to do’
Gov. Roy Cooper visited a clinic Thursday to promote getting COVID-19 shots into the arms of kids, calling it “the responsible thing to do.”
“Parents should take this seriously. Parents have the responsibility for their children,” he said. “The responsible thing to do, when you’ve got all these clinical trials that have occurred, when you know the risk for your children, is to go ahead and make sure your children are vaccinated.”
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said the vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 has gone through the same clinical trials as those for adults and there are no serious side effects.
She said her two children in that age bracket will get the shot Sunday.
“I wouldn’t recommend something that I wouldn’t do for my own kids,” Cohen said.
6-year-old on getting COVID vaccine: ‘You can do it’
Children ages 5 to 11 have started getting a coronavirus vaccine in Charlotte, with Novant Health parents lining up at the hospital system’s East Mecklenburg vaccine clinic Thursday morning.
Novant Health pediatrician Dr. Catherine Ohmstede told reporters it was “one of the happiest days of this pandemic.” She said though kids might be afraid, the needle is the same size as the yearly flu vaccine.
Teddy Rivers, 6, told The Charlotte Observer he and his mom practiced the night before, saying it was just like a little pinch. Teddy also had a message for other children who might be afraid of the shot.
“You can do it,” he said. “I believe in you. And good job.”
NC man, mom died of COVID eight days apart
Beverly Long-Rogers, and her only son, Travis Rogers, died last month of complications from the coronavirus, their family said.
He died Oct. 19 at age 42 from double pneumonia brought on by COVID-19, The Charlotte Observer reported. His mother died eight days later. She was 67.
The virus started circulating among extended family at the end of September, and the pair got sick in early October. Travis Rogers was having trouble breathing the last time one of his sisters saw him.
“Within less than an hour after I got home, the police called and they said they had a 911 call here from my brother, but that when they got here it was too late, and that they tried to resuscitate him, but they were not able to,” Kenda Rogers told The Observer.
Beverly Long-Rogers died a week later at Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center with her older brother, Phil Long of Michigan City, Ind., by her side.
The family was hesitant to share their vaccine status.
“It would be great if you just said, ‘No, they weren’t vaccinated, and it was personal choice,’” Phil Long told The Observer.
8-year-old is living with long-haul COVID
Addie Lanthorn, 8, finds it hard to breathe and her feet hurt when it’s cold and rainy. She takes the anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen every 12 hours for relief.
The third-grader was diagnosed in October with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or long-haul COVID.
Addie had no health issues or pre-existing conditions when tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 31, The Charlotte Observer reported. But three weeks later, her mom Sara Lanthorn said, she started having breathing issues.
“It quickly grew from sporadic to covering most of her day where she couldn’t even make it up the stairs without a coughing fit and gasping for air,” Sarah Lanthorn said. “She was also having rapid heartbeats and overall body aches.”
Addie attends school in Union County, where school board leaders said they wanted families and employees to have the freedom to choose whether they wear face masks.
Scheduling COVID shots for kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has signed off on COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.
After the recommendation, only the Pfizer vaccine is available to kids in that age group. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only available to adults, The Charlotte Observer reported.
In the Charlotte area, Atrium Health, Novant Health, StarMed and Mecklenburg County are among the locations with plans to offer shots for children. Also, at least five Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parking lots could be used as vaccine sites for kids.
Patrick Smith, assistant superintendent of communications, said the district will urge parents to vaccinate their children “to protect not only their health but also to protect in-person learning in schools.”
In other parts of the state, pharmacies and health care providers are planning to roll out vaccines, with a list available at MySpot.nc.gov.
State health officials said the first pediatric vaccines are expected in North Carolina within nine business days. Some will be delivered as early as Nov. 3, The News & Observer reported.
More answers to common questions about the vaccine and children can be found here.
Face mask rule change in Charlotte area
A new rule could lead Mecklenburg County to end its face mask mandate earlier than expected.
The Board of Commissioners for the county, which is home to Charlotte, voted Wednesday to lower the threshold for requiring face coverings in public places.
As the delta variant caused COVID-19 metrics to spike in August, officials approved removing the mask mandate if the average case rate was 5% and stayed low for one month. But now, the indoor mask requirement can stop “if the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate remains relatively low for seven days,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
As of last week, the county’s seven-day average COVID-19 positivity rate was 7%, down from 9% at the start of October and 14% in August.
UNC doctors address concerns about vaccines for children
A panel of doctors from UNC Medical School in Chapel Hill addressed some common concerns parents have about their children getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert at UNC, said children need to be protected from the virus, particularly since the delta variant affected them worse. Doctors say the side effects are roughly the same for kids as they are for adults, and there have been no long-term side affects to emerge from a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Herman Naftel, a professor of psychiatry, said parents should talk to their children about their worries.
“We want them to know that these vaccines have been studied extensively, probably more than any vaccine in history, and so we know that they’re safe,” he said.
This week the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use for children, 5 to 11 years old.
German brewery opening delayed by COVID
The first U.S. location of Gilde Brewery, one of the oldest beer makers in Germany, was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Now it plans to open in December.
President Mike Gaertner told The Charlotte Observer the brewery in the Lower South End neighborhood will be the German beer maker’s first expansion outside of Hanover. But issues with the supply chain and shipping prevented them from opening in October.
The brewery equipment was shipped from Germany, with five of the 11 tanks just arriving in Charlotte on Wednesday. They were stuck in Charleston for six weeks, according to the Observer.
“The containers from Europe are late and are four times as expensive as before COVID-19,” Gaertner said.
Outdoor mask rule dropped for Wake student athletes
Wake County school system has dropped an outdoor mask requirement for band members and student-athletes.
The school board voted Tuesday to make it optional for those groups to wear face coverings outside during school events, The News & Observer reported. The district had been requiring students to keep masks on except while actively practicing or playing.
Wake is still requiring students and workers to mask up while they’re indoors.
“In consultation with our public health experts, we do not anticipate a change in face covering requirements indoors until after Jan. 1, 2022,” said Paul Koh, assistant superintendent for academic services.
COVID treatments available in NC, but options are limited
While there’s no cure for COVID-19, experts say there are limited treatment options available in North Carolina and other parts of country.
So far, the antiviral drug Remdesivir is the only treatment that has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The News & Observer reported. Some other options, including monoclonal antibody treatments, have received emergency use authorization.
Meanwhile, a drug tested at UNC-Chapel Hill has been shown to reduce the chance of hospitalization among those infected. The drug, a pill called molnupiravir, comes from pharmaceutical company Merck.
But health experts have said treatments can’t replace getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I’d rather prevent a fire than put out a fire,” said Dr. David Wohl, a UNC-Chapel Hill infectious disease expert.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 7:15 AM.
