Wake County

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2021: COVID still looms large

January 4, 2021 by Editor Leave a Comment

2021: COVID still looms large - North Carolina Health News

Here’s what is on the horizon for the new year as the state continues to battle COVID and environmental issues.

By North Carolina Health News staff Rural broadband infrastructure funding moves forward, with limited impact The pandemic highlighted long-standing weaknesses in the internet infrastructure of rural counties across the state. From telehealth to working to learning from home, residents in rural areas discovered that what was once an inconvenience now became a hurdle which, in […]

Map of counties in NC by coronavirus spread. Rural counties are mostly in the higher categories, while urban counties are in the lower tiers.

Some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in NC are in rural areas

December 3, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

Some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in NC are in rural areas - North Carolina Health News

As coronavirus spreads from urban to rural areas, experts worry that longstanding disparities could mean more serious cases and deaths there.

By Liora Engel-Smith Avery County was North Carolina’s last coronavirus holdout. In early May, as cases mounted elsewhere, the mountainous county had not seen a single case. By mid-May, however, the tiny border county had lost that distinction, as county officials reported a case. By mid-summer, as the state’s largest urban centers saw a spike […]

Shows a brunette woman in a dark dress standing at a podium, with a grim, determined look on her face as she looks at the camera. She's worried about the state of North Carolina's COVID outbreak. IN the upper right hand corner, a sign language interpreter gestures with his hands.

Coronavirus Today – Nov. 12 COVID spread in rural NC; Testing for holiday travelers and college students; Insurance and travel testing

November 12, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Nov. 12 COVID spread in rural NC; Testing for holiday travelers and college students; Insurance and travel testing - North Carolina Health News

North Carolina passes a ‘troubling milestone’ in COVID-19 case counts, as the coronavirus spreads through rural counties.

By Anne Blythe As North Carolina’s COVID-19 case counts rise steadily, the tightening grip of the coronavirus is having a disparate impact on the state’s rural counties. The rate of infections per capita has become alarmingly high in many rural North Carolina counties, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, […]

shows a county map of north carolina with darker counties being places with higher rates of COVID-19. The darkest counties right now are all rural.

Coronavirus Today – Oct. 21 – Paused in Phase 3; Counties asked to toughen COVID restrictions; Promising treatment underperforms; Veterans’ home outbreaks

October 21, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – Oct. 21 – Paused in Phase 3; Counties asked to toughen COVID restrictions; Promising treatment underperforms; Veterans’ home outbreaks - North Carolina Health News

Thirty-six NC counties with high COVID-19 transmission asked to consider restriction measures beyond state requirements.

By Anne Blythe, Hannah Critchfield and Thomas Goldsmith On a day that North Carolina’s COVID-19 death toll topped the 4,000 mark and the number of people hospitalized with illness related to the novel coronavirus is the second highest in the pandemic, Gov. Roy Cooper hit the pause on any further reopening. North Carolina public health […]

shows two adults providing applied behavior analysis, otherwise known as ABA therapy, with two young people.

Are students with disabilities being left behind? Challenges of virtual learning.

September 16, 2020 by Taylor Knopf

Are students with disabilities being left behind? Challenges of virtual learning. - North Carolina Health News

Students in special education programs are struggling to adjust to online learning during the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to setbacks and hospitalizations for some.

By Taylor Knopf As school districts across the state deliberated over whether to bring students back to the classroom or teach them virtually, social media message boards filled with comments from North Carolina parents with strong opinions on all sides. But for Brooke Rose, there was no ideal option for her family in Wake County, […]

shows the front of a building with several flags on poles, the American flag is at half staff, as there are dead COVID patients within. A sign in front of the building reads, "Heroes work here"

Coronavirus deaths bring attention to privatized state veterans homes

July 31, 2020 by Thomas Goldsmith

Coronavirus deaths bring attention to privatized state veterans homes - North Carolina Health News

As COVID-19 outbreaks moved through North Carolina this year, nursing home residents quickly numbered high among those who became infected. Among that population, 36 North Carolina residents of military service died of the novel coronavirus in state-owned veterans nursing homes managed by a Georgia conglomerate, PruittHealth.

By Thomas Goldsmith and Riley Davis With the federal government footing much of the operations bill, state veterans homes have existed since the Civil War, first to care for homeless survivors of war and those with disabilities. A second wave of soldier’s homes came after World War I. “Prior to World War I, programs for […]

Jail suicides are on the rise in North Carolina

ICE transfers — and NC jail partnerships — have continued amid the pandemic

July 24, 2020 by Hannah Critchfield

ICE transfers — and NC jail partnerships — have continued amid the pandemic - North Carolina Health News

Advocates worry it will increase North Carolina immigrants' risk of contracting COVID-19.

By Hannah Critchfield UPDATE: Since this story published, three more North Carolina jails have entered this new agreement – in Avery County, Brunswick County, and Yancey County. It’s the first time any of them have formally partnered with ICE. This brings the current number of NC jails participating in the Warrant Service Officer program to […]

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

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 […]

Coronavirus Today – July 14: “Plan B” for K-12 schools; district choices; simmering COVID-19 trends and metrics

July 14, 2020 by Anne Blythe

Coronavirus Today – July 14: “Plan B” for K-12 schools; district choices; simmering COVID-19 trends and metrics - North Carolina Health News

NC governor recommends in-person combined with remote teaching for the coming K-12 school year. Each district would have discretion over the exact mix.

By Anne Blythe Once school resumes next month, North Carolina’s 1.5 million public school children will have the opportunity for some in-class instruction across the state while some kids might continue with remote learning only. Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday that he had selected his “Plan B,” a hybrid model for instructing children in […]

We see a masked person exiting a Durham Harris Teeter on an overcast day. Behind him, a sign tells customers to wear a mask.

Are NC businesses enforcing the Governor’s mask mandate? It depends.

July 10, 2020 by Hannah Critchfield

Are NC businesses enforcing the Governor’s mask mandate? It depends. - North Carolina Health News

Many patrons, employees and owners question how much of an impact the Governor’s order has had on increasing customer mask use.

By Hannah Critchfield On Monday, Lora Spencer walked into Dick’s Sporting Goods in Morganton for a quick shopping trip before lunch. She was relieved to be in a state with a mandated mask policy — her husband had just returned from Florida, a current hot spot for the novel coronavirus, on a frightening Allegiant flight […]

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