State releases guidelines for schools
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COVID vaccine card
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
For a long time, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said the goal was to have the percent of positive COVID-19 cases below 5%. That goal was met a couple of months ago thanks mostly to widely available vaccinations and has meant a much more open, normal summer in the state. Unfortunately, the Delta variant, proving more transmissible and possibly more severe, is starting to spread in the state bumping positive cases back up to 6.7% statewide. Steadily climbing that number was 10.4% on Tuesday with 1,031 people currently hospitalized.
In a press briefing held last week, Gov. Roy Cooper and Cohen both stressed the need for more people to become vaccinated. They also announced the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit has been updated for the new year that includes pandemic prevention protocols.
“The best way to combat this pandemic is with vaccines,” Cooper said, highlighting a new milestone that 60% of adults have had at least 1 dose of the vaccine. Plus, 57% of the population is fully vaccinated statewide. In Swain County, the reported percent is 31% but is estimated to be higher due to widespread vaccination on the Qualla Boundary. Swain County had 12 current cases over a 14-day period on Friday but by Tuesday that number had increased to 22 cases.
“This summer, it’s been uplifting to see so many people get back to the things they love, like hugging their grandkids in person,” Gov. Cooper said. “Vaccinations are making this possible; the more people get vaccinated the less it has to affect our day to day lives.”
COVID-19 vaccines have been made available to everyone ages 12 and up free. Locally, adults 18 and over can schedule a Moderna vaccination with the Swain County Health Department. The vaccine is also available for free at Walgreens. Western Carolina University has also acted as a free vaccine location with both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The current executive order will expire at end of the month, said Cooper, and there will no longer be a statewide mask mandate, which is currently in place for those indoors who are unvaccinated. The state strongly advises people to continue to wear masks in certain settings like medical facilities and on public transportation.
The state of emergency will remain in place, which Cooper stressed allows for federal funding and the ability to continue programs like vaccine clinics.
School guidance
Cohen highlighted the state protocols for schools, which start back in less than a month. The state advises school systems to require masks and testing as outlined in grades K-8, since children aged 12 and under still can’t receive the vaccine. Everyone in those school settings should be wearing masks and social distancing, but just by three-feet apart opposed to the previous requirement of six-feet of distance.
At the high school level, the guidance is for anyone who is unvaccinated to continue to wear a face covering.
Both the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics have stressed the importance of students returning to classrooms for in-person learning. Other updates, for cleaning guidelines and transportation have also been included in the toolkit.
Swain County Board of Education will have a special called meeting tonight, Thursday, July 29 at 6 p.m. It is anticipated the board will discuss its pandemic protocols at the meeting.
“Get vaccinated right now if you haven’t. We are seeing the impact of the very contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 and it’s hitting those who are unvaccinated hard,” said Secretary Cohen. “Schools need to use the additional safety protocols outlined in the StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit to continue to protect students and staff as we enter the new school year.”
Unvaccinated people are making up the majority of current positive cases, accounting for 94% of cases, said Cohen in the press briefing last week. The Delta variant is also the most common.
“To turn the final corner of this disease, we need everybody to get a shot,” Cooper said. “It can save your life and the life of somebody you love.”
The state also has several incentives currently running to encourage people to get vaccinated including a $1 million summer cash drawing and $25 gas cards. To learn more, visit myspot.nc.gov and covid19.ncdhhs.gov/summervaxcash.