Henderson County

shows men bent over green plants, pulling peppers into baskets

Coronavirus Today – July 23 – Follow the three Ws, say Mexican and Guatemalan consulate leaders; Plug for Medicaid expansion; ‘Not yet turned a corner’

July 23, 2020 by Anne Blythe Leave a Comment

Coronavirus Today – July 23 – Follow the three Ws, say Mexican and Guatemalan consulate leaders; Plug for Medicaid expansion; ‘Not yet turned a corner’ - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina is on steadier ground than many Southern states in its fight against COVID-19, but cases continue to rise especially in Latino communities.

By Anne Blythe North Carolina’s governor, top public health officials and high-ranking leaders from the Mexican and Guatemalan consulates sent an urgent message to Latinx and Hispanic residents on Thursday. COVID-19 is spreading swiftly and disproportionately among their communities, and the best way to fight the virus and keep their communities strong and healthy is […]

Members of the Henderson County Rescue Squad enter the decontamination tent outside Cherry Springs Village, an assisted living facility. The squad assist staff remove PPE.

WNC strike team fights back as long-term care residents contract COVID-19

June 11, 2020 by Hannah Critchfield

WNC strike team fights back as long-term care residents contract COVID-19 - North Carolina Health News

Residents of a Hendersonville assisted living home started testing positive for COVID-19 in early April. A carefully assembled “strike team” gathered diverse forces to keep the disease under some level of control.

By Hannah Critchfield and Thomas Goldsmith The calls from Cherry Springs Village came at night. Assisted-living roommates Alicia Rodgers, 50, and Margaret Osteen, 66, were getting results on April 4 from a test for the novel coronavirus that had been taken two days earlier. The disease had infected both women, family members learned. And they […]

Alicia Rodgers, a 50-year-old resident at Cherry Springs Village assisted living facility, beams for a photo taken at a socially-distanced strike team member. Rodgers contracted COVID-19 in the early days of the outbreak at the facility.

As COVID-19 threatened western N.C., a new approach to fighting it in long-term care

June 10, 2020 by Thomas Goldsmith

As COVID-19 threatened western N.C., a new approach to fighting it in long-term care - North Carolina Health News

When COVID-19 hit Henderson County, a newly coordinated “strike team” of medical professionals and others, from CNAs to hospice staff, formed to face the threat to endangered long-term care residents.

By Thomas Goldsmith and Hannah Critchfield Jan. 31: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declares a domestic public health emergency. Late in February, Mark Shepherd kept trying to tell people that Henderson County was heading for hard days, for trouble and sickness caused by a new virus that would spread like mountain wildfire. […]

Shows a large indoor arena fulled with people. If the RNC comes to Charlotte, this venue could be filled with about 19,000 Republicans, possibly putting them at risk for COVID.

Coronavirus Today – June 2 – GOP convention and NC demands; Cooper shares Bible story for Trump; COVID graph day

June 2, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – June 2 – GOP convention and NC demands; Cooper shares Bible story for Trump; COVID graph day - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper and President Donald Trump have different ideas for staging a GOP National Convention in Charlotte.

By North Carolina Health News staff Cooper, Trump and the RNC Convention Gov. Roy Cooper was on the phone with President Donald Trump on Friday evening, having a back and forth about the president’s demands for a no-holds-barred Republican National Convention in Charlotte this summer, despite COVID-19. North Carolina public health officials report they’ve been […]

shows a facemask used to prevent COVID 19 transmission. It's blue with an outline of the state of North Carolina with the flag colors inside the outline

Coronavirus Today – May 19 – Heated Lincoln County debate; nod to older North Carolinians; Avery County gets first COVID case

May 19, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 19 – Heated Lincoln County debate; nod to older North Carolinians; Avery County gets first COVID case - North Carolina Health News

Pressures mount to reopen restaurants, salons and churches as governor contemplates moving to the next phase.

By North Carolina Health News staff Defiance in Lincoln County A Lincoln County restaurant owner who also is a member of the county board of commissioners opened his restaurant in Vale on Monday in defiance of the governor’s statewide stay-at-home order. Carrol Dean Mitchem was cited by Sheriff Bill Beam for violating Gov. Roy Cooper’s […]

A group of Camp Hope campers prepare to set sail for the first time.

Coronavirus Today – May 15 – COVID testing guidance; too few Dare County test sites; camp guidance; rough surf warning

May 15, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 15 – COVID testing guidance; too few Dare County test sites; camp guidance; rough surf warning - North Carolina Health News

Testing, testing, testing. Getting access to the necessary COVID-19 tests has been a problem for Dare County and elsewhere in northeastern NC.

By North Carolina Health News staff Big testing-site gap in northeastern NC After the state Department of Health and Human Services compiled a list of sites across the state where people can get tested for COVID-19, there was a glaring gap in Dare County and much of northeastern North Carolina. “The northeast part of our […]

shows three politicians who are usually at odds on the same dias, they're there in order to sign bills to provide COVID relief

Coronavirus Today – May 12 – Pandemic politics; NC manufacturers help; mental health awareness

May 12, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 12 – Pandemic politics; NC manufacturers help; mental health awareness - North Carolina Health News

Political divides are emerging again during the pandemic slightly more than a week after Republicans and Democrats reached consensus on a relief package.

By North Carolina Health News staff ‘Pandemics cannot be partisan’ Eight days have passed since Republican leaders at the helm of the General Assembly stood side-by-side with Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, to show that the two parties could come together in consensus to support a $1.5 billion pandemic relief package. The harmony was short-lived. […]

shows trend lines for COVID-like illnesses in the emergency departments higher than in prior years, but decreasing overall

Coronavirus Today – May 5 – Cooper eases restrictions as of Friday, reporting on nursing home, meat processor outbreaks

May 5, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 5 – Cooper eases restrictions as of Friday, reporting on nursing home, meat processor outbreaks - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper signs an order to slightly ease social distancing restrictions beginning Friday, as he asks people to "wear, wait and wash."

By North Carolina Health News staff Wear, wait and wash in next phase North Carolinians could have a few more places to leave home for after 5 p.m. Friday, when a modified statewide stay-at-home order signed by Gov. Roy Cooper takes effect. Cooper announced plans to move the state into the first phase of easing […]

Pandemic ripple effect potentially devastating for Western NC farmers

April 18, 2020 by Carolina Public Press

Pandemic ripple effect potentially devastating for Western NC farmers - North Carolina Health News

Western North Carolina farmers are bracing for a potentially difficult season amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

By Melissa Reardon Carolina Public Press April typically heralds the opening of farmers markets in much of North Carolina and the start of the tourist season, which spurs an infusion of fresh local produce into many area restaurants. But with restaurants shuttered and many farmers markets disrupted due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the […]

The Appalachian Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina may benefit from the ARC's recovery ecosystem model. The area has a quickly growing outbreak of COVID-19

COVID-19 in western NC: Just the tip of the iceberg

April 13, 2020 by Melba Newsome

COVID-19 in western NC: Just the tip of the iceberg - North Carolina Health News

The number of COVID-19 cases in WNC is relatively low compared to the more populous areas in the state. But people on the front lines see a worrying trend that indicates it’s only a matter of time.

By Melba Newsome If you ask Bryan Hodge about the number of diagnosed coronavirus cases in western North Carolina, he can rattle off the exact number in each of 16 counties. He readily admits that, in addition to being obsessed with tracking the information, he also gets regular updates from his wife. Hodge is director […]

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