Topics Related to COVID-19

With COVID-19 cases reaching record highs last month, North Carolina laboratories reported 2,627,371 tests performed across the state during the month of January. This included 11 days with more than 100,000 tests and a one-day high of 135,031 on Jan. 12. To help meet the unprecedented demand for testing and promote greater equity in test availability, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 response team shipped 441,038 rapid antigen test kits across North Carolina since Dec. 23, 2021.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live Cafecito and Spanish language tele-town hall on Thursday, Feb. 3, from 6 –7p.m. to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, testing and more.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the approval of its staffing support request, in partnership with Atrium Health, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. North Carolina is also receiving an additional 25 Advanced Life Support Ambulances.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated vaccination data from the U.S. Department of Defense and Federal Bureau of Prisons to more accurately reflect the county of residence for the person vaccinated. The updated data will result in the vaccination rate changing for the state and for several counties on the North Carolina COVID-19 Dashboard.

The COVID-19 mass testing site at the Greensboro Coliseum will be staffed by a new federally supplied testing services provider beginning tomorrow, Jan. 22, in response to a recent request from North Carolina state officials to the Federal government.

People who received their COVID-19 vaccine or booster in North Carolina from a pharmacy or grocery store participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program are now able to access their COVID-19 vaccine information in the NC COVID-19 Vaccine Portal.

The highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 is sending record numbers of people to North Carolina hospitals, straining hospital capacity. As hospitals continue to take steps to protect their ability to provide patient care in the face of nationwide COVID-19 related staffing shortages, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and North Carolina Emergency Management are requesting federal support for the Charlotte region to help alleviate capacity constraints.

The rate of COVID-19 infections is once again disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic North Carolinians. Since Dec. 26, the rate of infections was twice as high among the Black population as compared to the white population and as much as 57% higher among the Hispanic population as compared to the non-Hispanic population, according to an analysis of positive cases reported to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has taken action to ensure NC Medicaid beneficiaries have access to free at-home tests for COVID-19. In alignment with the Biden administration’s requirement last week to provide free at-home tests for COVID-19, State Health Director and NCDHHS Chief Medical Officer Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, M.D., signed an order on Jan. 14, 2022, enabling NC Medicaid beneficiaries to receive free at-home COVID-19 tests from their local pharmacies.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Jan. 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, testing and more.