Press Releases

North Carolina experienced the largest single day jump in hospital ICU admissions since the beginning of the pandemic. Weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations among people ages 20-49 are at an all-time high.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has selected two medical testing vendors with experience operating K-12 testing programs, MAKO Medical and Concentric by Ginkgo, that will be available to provide COVID-19 testing services to all North Carolina schools. In accordance with CDC guidance, K-12 schools are strongly encouraged to participate in the StrongSchoolsNC: K-12 COVID-19 Testing Program and require students, teachers and staff wear masks indoors in all K-12 schools.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has begun issuing $413 million in food assistance payments to an estimated 1.1 million eligible children through the Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer food assistance program. Children who are eligible for the summer receive a one-time payment of $375 on their family’s P-EBT card.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ vaccine data dashboard now includes county-level vaccination information from federal providers, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Prisons and Indian Health Service.

As part of its effort to help more North Carolinians protect themselves against COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant, North Carolina is now offering $100 Summer Cards at some vaccine sites across the state to offset the time and transportation costs of getting vaccinated.

North Carolina received more than $4.9 million federal funds for small rural hospitals in the state to provide COVID-19 testing and mitigation, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today. The program will provide increased COVID-19 testing to rural populations ensuring an equitable distribution across the state.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is expanding the COVID-19 Community Health Worker program, bringing it statewide.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the state has surpassed 1,000 reported cases of hepatitis A associated with a national outbreak that began in April 2017. 63% of cases have required hospitalization and 16 people have died.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the selection of seven organizations to serve as Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disability Tailored Plans (Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plans). Individuals who need certain services to address a serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, severe substance use disorder, intellectual/developmental disability or traumatic brain injury may be eligible to enroll in a Behavioral Health I/DD Tailored Plan.

After months of decline, North Carolina is experiencing a rapid increase in COVID-19 spread among those who are unvaccinated. Yesterday, 1,998 cases were reported to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and 817 people are hospitalized with 132 admitted in the past 24 hours. There have been 9,053 cases reported over the past seven days compared to 5,441 cases in the preceding seven days — a 66% increase — and hospitalizations doubled since July 9 and are at the highest rate they have been since the May 11.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced it has expanded its COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program from 10 to 19 sites to better identify areas where virus is spreading.

Today, the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) announced its position approved by the association’s board of trustees supporting COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. NCHA also announced several of its member health systems intend to be first in the state to require COVID-19 vaccination for their employees, including Atrium Health, Cone Health, Duke University Health System, Novant Health, Wake Forest Baptist Health and the following UNC Health hospitals – UNC Medical Center, UNC Rex, UNC Johnston, UNC Chatham, UNC Rockingham and UNC Southeastern.

Update: The At-Home Vaccination Hotline is no longer available. Please contact your local health department for potential resources. In its effort to provide all with access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging (PTRC AAA) to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to people with limited mobility who cannot leave their home. This new initiative expands PTRC AAA’s successful local at-home vaccination program to communities across the state.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the state’s five Medicaid prepaid health plans have joined NCCARE360 — the nation’s first statewide coordinated care network connecting individuals to local services and resources.

Public health officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services advise employers, local health departments, emergency managers and residents to take precautions to protect their employees, constituents, pets and themselves from heat-related illness as temperatures across the state rise.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. today announced the second round of winners of the state’s Your Shot at A Million Summer Cash Drawing and Summer Cash 4 College drawings at the State Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh. 

As of July 1, 2021, 77% of staff at state-operated health care facilities are fully vaccinated according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities, a state-operated healthcare system comprised of 14 facilities with more than 10,000 employees. In addition, 93% of residents in the state’s six congregate living facilities are fully vaccinated.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ vaccine data dashboard now includes vaccination information from federal providers, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Prisons and Indian Health Service. The new data provides a more accurate representation of how many North Carolinians have been vaccinated. This federal data is now included in the statewide percent of population by age group that has received at least one dose and those who are fully vaccinated.

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed July Adolescent Immunization Awareness Month to highlight the importance of immunizations for North Carolina’s preteens and teens. As teachers, parents and students are preparing for the start of the 2021-22 school year, public health officials remind parents and guardians to ensure their teens and preteens are current on all their vaccinations and encourage health care providers to take steps to ensure their young patients are up to date.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is urging all unvaccinated North Carolinians to get a COVID-19 vaccine as cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been inching up across the state. North Carolina’s early warning systems are showing more people going to the emergency department with COVID-like illness and elevated viral levels in wastewater in certain regions of the state.