On Wednesday, every North Carolinian, 16 and older, who wants a vaccine became eligible to schedule one. The timeline to open vaccines to everyone has sped up, surprising North Carolina’s top officials, including Gov. Roy Cooper. Cooper announced during his Wednesday press conference that there will come a time soon when supply outweighs demand.
RELATED: Cooper eyes July 4 as possible return to some sense of normalcy
Does that mean the state is seeing less interest from people filling vaccine appointments?
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services secretary, Dr. Mandy Cohen, weighed in that some counties are going through supply quickly, while others are not.
Last week, North Carolina received 216,030 first doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and 149,800 doses of Johnson & Johnson, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
On Friday New Hanover County officials opened appointments for Pfizer (approved for ages 16 and older) and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. As of Sunday, they are still open.
Appointments are also open through Pender County for the Moderna vaccine (approved for ages 18 and older) and Brunswick County has appointment availability for Pfizer doses.
RELATED: Johnson & Johnson walk-up clinic scheduled for Monday, Pfizer vaccine appointments still available
Currently, North Carolina is at 28.4% of the population being fully vaccinated, and 40% partially vaccinated as of Apr. 9 (the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services updates dashboards Monday-Friday). The state’s positivity rate continues tracking under health officials’ goal of 5%, landing at 4.6% — up 0.2% from last week.
North Carolina had 2,509 new Covid-19 cases reported on Friday, with 12,248 (up 112) deaths to date. Hospitalizations went down from last week, 985 to 977.
Let’s take a look at Covid-19 data, including cases, clusters and outbreaks, and vaccinations, across the tri-county region and at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
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New Hanover County
CASES
As of Apr. 9, New Hanover is reporting 18,065 infectious people — up by 289 since last week. Public health reported more than 17,000 have recovered.
“We are seeing an uptick in positive cases, particularly in younger age groups like 18- to 24-year-olds, and our overall 14-day metrics have increased in testing percent positivity,” said assistant health director Carla Turner. “We aren’t near the post-holiday surge of COVID-19 cases we saw earlier in the year, but some of our trends are not where we want them to be. “
The death toll is at 163 — according to public health, the second week in a row it hasn’t risen.
CDC is reporting New Hanover’s positivity rate is down from last week from 6.84% to 6.59%.
CLUSTERS AND OUTBREAKS
Updated Apr. 6, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) still shows a cluster at Myrtle Grove Christian School, with seven total cases, one staff member and six children.
No child-care facilities have been reported.
As of Apr. 6, clusters and outbreaks in congregate-living facilities include:
- Accordius Health at Wilmington: 28 total cases, with 20 staff and 8 residents.
- Davis Health Care Center: 27 total cases, with 25 staff, two patients and one patient death
- New Hanover County Detention Facility: 85 total cases, with 31 staff and 54 inmates
- Other facility on Martin St.: 13 total resident cases
- Spring Arbor of Wilmington: 17 total cases, with nine staff and eight residents
VACCINATIONS
New Hanover Public Health increased vaccinations from 39,939 to 42,863.
The NCDHHS dashboard shows the county has inoculated 55,582 people fully through NC providers, not including federal pharmacies; 66,923 have been partially vaccinated.
It still doesn’t lessen the need to take preventative measures in protecting each other against Covid-19, according to the health department.
“Expanded vaccine eligibility comes at a critical time,” assistant health director Carla Turner said about the state opening to group 5 — all folks 16 and older who want a vaccine. “[W]e want to slow the spread of the virus and prevent serious illness and deaths. . . . We have to continue to take this virus seriously, and we have to keep wearing our masks and remaining six feet from others. Now that the weather is warming up, make plans to be outside instead of inside if you are in a group and don’t stop washing your hands – that is a critical component to slowing the spread.”
A new vaccine clinic is now open at Independence Mall, according to county officials. It will operate four days a week through Sept. 30. The clinic is not “walk-in”; folks must reserve an appointment with public health when it announces appointments are open.
New Hanover County officials announced the opening of Pfizer (approved for ages 16 and older) and Johnson & Johnson vaccine appointments; folks can schedule here.
New Hanover County informs residents through emails, text alerts and social media posts. People can also sign up to receive notifications online or by contacting the Coronavirus Call Center at 910-798-6800 weekdays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Other appointments through vaccine providers can be made at:
- NHRMC: Vaccinations can be scheduled at nhrmc.org/coronavirus or by calling (910) 662-2020 when appointments are available. NHRMC now has an email list available for anyone to sign up to receive notifications when COVID-19 vaccine appointments are available. The link to sign up can be found here.
- Wilmington Health: Vaccinations can be scheduled at WilmingtonHealth.com/COVIDvaccine or by calling (910) 407-5115 when appointments are available.
Public health also has released the following information for anyone attempting to get a vaccine in the county:
- Public health, as instructed by NCDHHS, will only vaccinate people who live or work in North Carolina.
- When appointments are available for the county’s online scheduling system, a unique email is required for each appointment. In addition, appointments cannot be transferred to someone else after they have been made.
- Spanish interpreters are available in the call center to assist with booking appointments and the online appointment system through the county is in English and Spanish when appointments are available.
- If you have received your first dose of the vaccine, you should receive your second dose of the vaccine through the same provider. Second doses should occur on the date outlined on your vaccine card and not be rescheduled.
As well, the county encourages folks to cancel appointments if and when they receive a vaccine elsewhere. To do so, call the county’s call center at 910-798-6800.
Brunswick County
CASES
Brunswick County’s case count is at 8,760 overall. Its death count rose by two to a total of 148.
CDC is reporting Brunswick’s positivity rate is up from last week from 6.28% to 6.83%.
Brunswick’s Covid-19 dashboard has been down since Jan. 24 due to technical issues. However, it has updated numbers listed on a table chart.
CLUSTERS AND OUTBREAKS
Updated Apr. 6, NCDHHS still reports no clusters or outbreaks in K-12 schools in Brunswick County — the majority of which were on spring break over the week.
There is only one congregate-living facility on the list as of Apr. 6:
- Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health: 27 total, with 25 staff and two resident
VACCINATIONS
N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is reporting 49,967 first doses through NC providers, not including federal pharmacies. It’s fully vaccinated 40,282 people.
Brunswick County has appointment availability for Pfizer. Questions can be sent to coronavirus@brunswickcountync.gov.
Folks who don’t have access to internet can call public health at 910-253-2339, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Pender County
CASES
According to Pender County Health and Human Services, updated on Apr. 9, there has been 5,078 positive tests for Covid-19, with two hospitalizations. Of those cases, 99% have recovered and 69 have died (up three from last week).
Pender breaks down its cases by area percentages:
Burgaw: 17% cases
Hampstead: 36% cases
Rocky Point: 17% cases
Watha/Willard: 7% cases
Other: 23% cases
CDC is reporting Pender’s positivity rate up from last week from 7.42% to 10.57%.
CLUSTERS AND OUTBREAKS
Updated Apr. 6, NCDHHS shows no change from last week in clusters in the following Pender County congregate-living facilities:
- Ashe Gardens Care Facility: Two total staff cases
- The Laurels of Pender: 129 total cases, 61 staff, 68 residents, 11 deaths
- Woodbury Wellness Center: 146 total cases, 53 staff, 93 residents and nine resident deaths
- Pender County Jail: 22 total inmates
Its also reporting no clusters or outbreaks in K-12 schools in Pender County.
According to Pender County Schools’ data, there are seven active cases across multiple schools. Catch up on those numbers in Port City Daily’s weekly Covid-19 numbers in tri-county schools.
VACCINATIONS
According to the state, vaccinations have gone up in the county from last week by more than 1,500 people with 10,877 fully vaccinated through NC providers, not including federal pharmacies. As well 15,414 have been partially vaccinated.
Appointments are open through Pender County for the Moderna vaccine (approved for ages 18 and older).
Vaccination appointments are open and can be made when supply is available by calling 910-663-4200 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Folks can make online appointments at pendercountync.gov.
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
New Hanover Regional Medical Center serves a seven-county region so numbers from its Covid-19 dashboard aren’t necessarily reflective of only residents from New Hanover County.
Stats on NHRMC’s dashboard were updated Apr. 9:
NHRMC has 1,909 Covid-19 patients admitted to the hospital for Covid-19, up by 59 from two weeks ago (the hospital didn’t update the dashboard on Good Friday, when PCD gathers all the data).
Of the overall patients, 1,583 were discharged and 308 have died (up by two in two weeks).
The daily average of hospitalized Covid-19 patients has dropped significantly from 14 to 5.
NHRMC has increased vaccinations by more than 7,000, and has administered 80,516 dose. The hospital currently has vaccine appointment availability for the Johnson & Johnson one-shot. Folks can schedule here.
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