Governor Roy Cooper says North Carolinians must have the common goal of saving lives and jobs.

Therefore, residents need to keep stepping up to get their shot.

Cooper says the state’s number of coronavirus cases continue to increase, and the surge is being driven by the unvaccinated.

The governor reminds the vaccine is safe, effective, and dramatically lowers the chances of getting severely ill from the virus.

Cooper encourages businesses, school systems and others to ask their staff (and eligible students) to get their shot.

During Wednesday’s media briefing, Gov. Cooper also shared an update on the state’s HOPE Program, which can help keep people in their homes with the lights on.

Since the HOPE Program opened in the fall, over $328 million has been awarded to help North Carolina families, and more than $234 million has already been paid to landlords and utility providers statewide.

You can learn more about the HOPE Program at Hope.NC.gov.

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According to Wednesday’s figures from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 3,413 newly reported cases of COVID-19 in the state over the past 24 hours.  1,580 people are currently hospitalized with the virus in the state.  North Carolina has recorded 13,700 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.