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WEATHER FRIDAY MORNING
Vaccinations against COVID-19 will be given at Walgreens locations in North Carolina starting Friday.
The state is just one of 15 states where the national pharmacy will distribute the vaccines.
Walgreens follows North Carolina guidelines for vaccine distribution, meaning you must be a health care worker or over 65 years of age to receive the vaccine at this time.
The pharmacy also only makes appointments by appointment. You can make an appointment and find out where you have a vaccine.
The health department said the goal of enabling vaccine distribution through Walgreens is to help make sure people living in areas with low medical services have access to the vaccine.
State health officials confirmed Thursday that the COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa has now been confirmed in North Carolina.
North Carolina becomes the first state to report a confirmed case of the South African variant, which so far seems more contagious but not more serious.
All of this occurs as COVID-19 metrics seem to improve. On Thursday, the state reported for the first time since October a positive COVID-19 percent daily rate below 6%.
New issues are expected to be released around midnight.
THURSDAY
19:50 h
Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) has suspended several bus routes after three employees tested positive for COVID-19.
The following bus routes are suspended due to driver shortages:
- Route 9 – Stacy Weaver Drive / Rosehill Road
- Route 10 – Strickland Bridge Road
- Route 11 – Country Club Drive / Pamalee Drive
- Route 15 – Cape Fear Valley Medical Center / Cross Creek Mall
- Route 19 – Yadkin Road
- Route 31 – Owen Drive / Gillespie Street (includes Enterprise Avenue)
Route 7 – Raeford Road will operate on a reduced service schedule.
At least 30 more people are in quarantine after the exhibition. The initial employee tested positive for COVID-19 on February 10th. The Fayetteville City Human Resources Development Team is working on tracking contacts.
6:30 p.m.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported the first identification of variant B.1.351 of COVID-19, a variant first detected in South Africa, in a North Carolina resident.
Variant B.1.351 was detected in South Africa in October and in the United States in January.
The North Carolina variant B.1.351 case was identified in a sample of an adult from the central part of the state who had not recently traveled, according to NCDHHS.
LabCorp tested the specimen and was selected for sequencing as part of a partnership with the CDC.
North Carolina is the fourth state to report an identified case of this variant. As of Feb. 9, nine cases of infection with the variant had been identified in residents of South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia.
The viruses change all the time and NCDHHS said it expects to see new variants of COVID-19 in the state as the pandemic continues.
The data suggest that this variant may be more contagious than other variants, but it does not suggest that it causes more serious diseases. Current COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be effective against this and other new variants.
“While we anticipated the arrival of variant B.1.351 in NC, let us remember that the fight against COVID-19 is not over. The emergence of more infectious variants means it is more important than ever to do what we know it works to encourage spread: put on a mask, wash your hands, wait 6 feet away, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn, ”said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, MD
13:10 h
NC House has passed Senate Bill 37, which requires school districts to provide a face-to-face learning option for this school year.
The measure, which was passed by a 74-44 vote, is now back in the Senate for a concordant vote.
If he passes by, the bill will go to Governor Roy Cooper’s desk for approval or veto.
Senate Bill 37 allows students to continue remote learning if they so choose.
Representative Jeffrey Elmore, R-Wilkes, a public school teacher and co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the legislation provides families with certainty in education and economic planning.
“Currently, our students are subject to executive order changes and mixed administration messages that have created confusion and caused local delays, making it very difficult for parents to plan their jobs and their education. son, “Elmore said Thursday. “This legislation provides North Carolina families with certainty and access to classrooms by combining more than $ 1 billion in new educational funding with local decision-making to implement a return to face-to-face learning now.”
House Speaker Tim Moore of R-Cleveland said current restrictions that keep students out of the classroom force parents to lose their jobs or seek educational alternatives, and the legislation gives flexibility to school systems to adjust student assignments for face-to-face learning.
“School closures have financially burdened North Carolina families, while young people are lagging behind in their studies, producing a devastating impact on student achievement and exacerbating socioeconomic disparities,” Moore said Thursday. “We are listening to educators, health experts, parents and, most importantly, our students, who have a constitutional right to access educational communities that serve their academic needs.”
11:40 h
The daily COVID-19 positive percentage rate continued its precipitous drop with Thursday’s updated metrics.
The rate had been in teens recently last week, but Thursday’s report showed a rate of 5.9%. The state target, which has not been met since the fall of 2020, is to be below 5%.
State metrics showed another 113 new deaths from the virus, bringing the total count to 10,294.
One hundred and six fewer people were hospitalized with the virus.
For a complete breakdown of Thursday’s metrics, you can click here.
THURSDAY MORNING OWNERSHIPS
The PNC Arena car park opens Thursday as the first COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Raleigh.
However, you will not be able to show up and get vaccinated. Vaccine supply remains extremely limited; therefore, you must now have an appointment to get vaccinated at the PNC Arena.
The slots are full for today and Saturday. However, you can sign up for the waiting list if you are a health worker or over 65 years old. At this point, this waiting list supposedly has more than 90,000 people.
To do so, go to COVID19.wakegov.com or call 919-250-1515.
Officials said they expect to vaccinate 2,100 people at the PNC Arena on Thursday. The goal of the site is to continue to operate regularly, but of course it all depends on the amount of vaccine dose the area receives.
Tomorrow, Walgreens will join the North Carolina vaccination race. The pharmacy sends 31,000 doses of the vaccine to 300 stores in North Carolina.
Walgreens also does not accept walk-ins. You need to make an appointment on their website.
You can also see reports that CVS is also opening reservations for COVID-19 vaccine appointments. However, CVS is not yet hitting North Carolina.
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