Don’t wait and get your COVID-19 vaccine now if you haven’t already. That’s the message from Gov. Roy Cooper and state health officials as coronavirus cases surge in North Carolina. During Thursday’s media briefing, Gov. Cooper laid out a new executive order:
- The order directs state government cabinet agencies to verify whether their employees are vaccinated. Unvaccinated employees will be tested once-a-week and required to wear a mask.
- Cooper is also strongly urging other state government agencies and other private businesses to do the same.
- Following CDC guidance, the state is recommending all K-12 schools require masks for all students and teachers
- Anyone in a county with high viral spread, including those that have been vaccinated, is encouraged to wear a mask in public indoor settings.
According to Thursday’s figures from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, 42,613 people have received at least one COVID vaccine dose in Wayne County, representing 35% of the county’s population. 39,418 people have been fully vaccinated, which is just 32% of the population in Wayne County. The rolling average of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to increase in Wayne County, with 185 cases per 100,000 residents reported in the last 14 days.
