North Carolina to Require Vaccine Verification for State Employees
News, Press Release July 29, 2021
RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. announced that state government would begin verifying vaccination status of its workers. Employees not vaccinated are required to wear a mask and be tested at least once a week. Today’s announcement comes as North Carolina’s latest upswing in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is driven by unvaccinated North Carolinians.
“Until more people get the vaccine, we will continue living with the very real threat of serious disease, and we will continue to see more dangerous and contagious variants like Delta,” said Governor Cooper.
NCDHHS updated guidance encourages private sector businesses to, at a minimum, verify vaccination status for their workers as well. The requirement for state government employees applies to cabinet agencies and is included in Executive Order 224.
“There is only one way out of this pandemic and that is vaccination. Our trends are accelerating at an alarmingly fast rate and the highest rates of viral spread are happening in areas with low vaccination rates and among those who are not fully vaccinated,” said Secretary Cohen. “If you are already vaccinated, I call on you to urge your unvaccinated family and friends to get their shot now. It is not an understatement to say that you will save lives by doing so.”
The NCDHHS updated guidance reminds unvaccinated people that they need to continue practicing the three Ws – wear a mask in all indoor public settings, wait six feet apart in all public settings and wash hands often. In addition, unvaccinated people should not gather with other unvaccinated people who do not live with them. If they do, they should stay outside and keep 6 feet of distance. In addition, unvaccinated people should not travel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new mask guidance this week based on levels of transmission in communities. The new maps designate counties as areas of low (blue), moderate (yellow), substantial (orange) or high (red) transmission. Moving forward, everyone in a red or orange county in North Carolina, including those who have been vaccinated, should wear a mask in public indoor settings.
Additionally, in accordance with the updated CDC guidance, all K-12 schools should require universal masking, regardless of vaccination status. NCDHHS is updating its guidance for schools to align with this recommendation.
To date, North Carolina has administered nearly 9.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 57 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated. 61 percent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 86 percent of North Carolinians 65 and over.
Learn more about the state’s vaccine distribution at myspot.nc.gov (English) or Vacunate.nc.gov (Spanish). Details on the Your Shot at $1 Million Summer Cash Drawing can be found at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/summervaxcash. Use NCDHHS’ online tool Find a Vaccine Location to find a nearby vaccine site. Call the state’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 888-675-4567.
Read the Executive Order.
Feature image courtesy of NC Department of Public Safety.
North Carolina’s new stay at home order begins Friday
News December 9, 2020
MURPHY, NC – On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen announced a modified stay at home order that will go into effect Friday, December 11, and last until January 8, 2021. Cooper has the option to extend the order if necessary.
They cited the “rapid” increase in key COVID-19 trends in the state. From November 21 and December 4, 2020, “over three-fourths of North Carolina counties were experiencing substantial (orange)” or “critical (red)” COVID-19 community spread, according to the County Alert System.” The system was put into place to easily evaluate a county’s COVID-19 cases, percent positives, and hospital capacity.
As of December 9, Cherokee County was listed as critical with low impact to its hospital. Clay and Graham Counties experienced significant spread, but both are low on the County Alert System scale.
Executive Order 181 called for “urgent and immediate action is therefore necessary to protect the lives of North Carolinians and to avoid further strain on the state’s health care system capacity.”
Under the order restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, personal care businesses, and more must close at 10 p.m. The sale of alcohol is prohibited from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Essential businesses that may remain open after 10 p.m., such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations. Restaurants can continue to serve take-out and deliver after 10 p.m., just can’t be open to the public.
Anyone who refuses to leave an establishment at 10 p.m. may be subject to criminal trespassing prosecution.
All individuals in North Carolina must stay at home between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless an exception applies. Events outside of the home must end by 10:00 p.m. and guests must leave the establishment and travel to the place they are staying that night. Gatherings are still limited to 10 indoor and 50 outdoor.
A face covering is required in all public indoor settings if there are non-household members present, regardless of social distancing. Additionally, in public outdoor settings, face coverings are required if social distancing can’t be maintained from non-household members.
During the nighttime stay at home order, people can leave their homes to travel to and from work, pick up essentials, take care of family, friends, or pets, attend religious services, and/or cross state lines. The order doesn’t prohibit visiting friends or family members, but it does stress that multiple households gathering together has led to the spread of COVID-19. Also, the face coverings rules apply when visiting other households.