DHHS Sec. Mandy Cohen

shows a man in a respirator helmet talking to a woman in a facemask in an intensive care unit where there have been many coronavirus or COVID patients.

Coronavirus Today – Jan. 8 – New record COVID case counts and hospitalizations; More vaccine plan details; UNC-CH delays in-person classes

January 8, 2021 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Jan. 8 – New record COVID case counts and hospitalizations; More vaccine plan details; UNC-CH delays in-person classes - North Carolina Health News

Even as vaccine distribution begins, North Carolina's top public health official is the “most worried” she’s been since the start of the pandemic.

By Anne Blythe Though COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna being distributed across the state offer rays of light in the fight against the coronavirus that continues to disrupt the world, North Carolina is in a very dark place. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, has spent the past […]

Coronavirus Today – Jan 6 – NC curfew extended; National Guard assists with vaccine distribution; Ninety-six red and orange counties

January 6, 2021 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Jan 6 – NC curfew extended; National Guard assists with vaccine distribution; Ninety-six red and orange counties - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper extends statewide curfew with a strong directive from his top public health official.

By Anne Blythe As the spread of COVID-19 rapidly worsens across North Carolina and hospitals scale back elective surgeries to make room for all the patients severely sickened by the virus, Gov. Roy Cooper extended a statewide curfew. In a briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Cooper and Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of […]

shows two people, both wearing masks to stop transmission of COVID, the women in this photo is in the foreground and out of focus

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 30 Which COVID-19 vaccine phase are you in?; If you’re 75 and older, a shot might be available in January; Eviction moratorium extended

December 30, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 30 Which COVID-19 vaccine phase are you in?; If you’re 75 and older, a shot might be available in January; Eviction moratorium extended - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina adds more details to the COVID-19 equitable vaccine distribution plan, cautions against violating prioritizations.

By Anne Blythe Now that the first doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in North Carolina and immunizations have started, the state distribution plan has been updated to better ensure that favoritism and financial means play no part in who gets the doses. Five days before Christmas, the Centers for Disease Control […]

Man in a mask gives masked woman a COVID-19 vaccine in her arm

LatinX provider group has found unexpected grace and community amid tumult of 2020

December 24, 2020 by Anne Blythe

LatinX provider group has found unexpected grace and community amid tumult of 2020 - North Carolina Health News

Formed as the pandemic ramped up earlier this year, LATIN-19 built connections, spread information and looks ahead with hope.

By Anne Blythe It was the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving and Durham County’s COVID-19 cases were surging much more rapidly than Rodney Jenkins, the county health director, wanted to see. Gov. Roy Cooper had tried to thwart large gatherings by limiting crowds to no more than 10 people, pleading with people to stay home, to […]

a man wearing a mask holds up his smart phone to take a photo as he receives a COVID vaccine shot

Get a vaccine, share a ‘vaxxie’, Alan Alda suggests

December 23, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Get a vaccine, share a ‘vaxxie’, Alan Alda suggests - North Carolina Health News

During a Duke Science and Society webinar, Alan Alda and Anthony Fauci discuss how to rebuild faith in public science agencies.

By Anne Blythe Actor Alan Alda, who has spent much of the past decade trying to help scientists and health care workers share messages about their work in clear and relatable ways, coined a new word for the coronavirus pandemic during a Duke University webinar last week. Vaxxies. The founder of The Alan Alda Center […]

A church that's empty because of prohibitions against gatherings because of COVID-19

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 22 – Pastors share virtual Christmas plans; Cocktails to go; Vaccines to nursing homes; More red and orange counties

December 22, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 22 – Pastors share virtual Christmas plans; Cocktails to go; Vaccines to nursing homes; More red and orange counties - North Carolina Health News

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths hit new records as North Carolina battles a Thanksgiving case surge with Christmas only days away.

By Anne Blythe With Christmas only three days away, more than 90 percent of North Carolina’s 100 counties have critical or substantial spread of COVID-19. Gov. Roy Cooper and his top public health official, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, have spent much of the past two months trying […]

shows two women in aprons, gloves, masks and goggles opening up a cardboard box filled with vaccines

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 15 – Vaccine distribution war room; Pfizer allotments are here; Federal allotment scheduling trouble

December 15, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 15 – Vaccine distribution war room; Pfizer allotments are here; Federal allotment scheduling trouble - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina celebrates the opening of its vaccine distribution plan as COVID-19 Thanksgiving surge gets ‘staggering.’

By Anne Blythe As the battle against COVID-19 heats up in North Carolina, the state’s public health team has set up a war room inside the state’s Emergency Operation Center where they’ve spent much time lately figuring out how to distribute new weapons against the coronavirus. This week the latest weapon was deployed. It was […]

shows hands in gloves handling COVID vials with purple tops

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 10 – Vaccine planning without all puzzle pieces; Temporary side effects; Latinx data collection concerns; Hospital staffing challenges

December 10, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 10 – Vaccine planning without all puzzle pieces; Temporary side effects; Latinx data collection concerns; Hospital staffing challenges - North Carolina Health News

With vaccines due to arrive in NC in just days, top NC public health officials share details about state distribution plan.

By Anne Blythe Promising COVID-19 vaccines that could be on the way in the coming days have been heralded often as the light at the end of the tunnel. Figuring out how to distribute them equitably across North Carolina, with many unknowns still, might seem a bit like standing at a railroad switchyard, knowing train […]

A woman with redness in her face is looking at the camera

NC hospitals to reach ICU capacity by January if COVID trends continue

December 10, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

NC hospitals to reach ICU capacity by January if COVID trends continue - North Carolina Health News

Hospitals across the state are bracing for a coronavirus surge that could push them to the brink.

By Liora Engel-Smith and Rose Hoban On Oct.7, the Greensboro-based Cone Health system had 57 COVID-19 patients across their small network of hospitals. A month later that number had almost doubled. A month after that, it was up to a total of 167. And the numbers keep climbing. “We’re doing this to ourselves,” Bruce Swords, […]

a map of north carolina with counties marked in red, orange or yellow to indicate the danger level due to COVID

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 8 – Governor imposes NC curfew; Hospital bed shortages could be weeks away; Stay home for the holidays

December 8, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Dec. 8 – Governor imposes NC curfew; Hospital bed shortages could be weeks away; Stay home for the holidays - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper issues statewide curfew as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations top pandemic records.

By Anne Blythe Though many North Carolinians are more than ready to put 2020 in the rearview mirror, it’s not time to plan a big New Year’s Eve party where friends and family gather at the stroke of midnight to toast new beginnings. Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order on Tuesday that institutes a […]

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