RALEIGH, NC (AP) – Residents of neighboring states may come to North Carolina to receive a coronavirus vaccine, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Demand far exceeded supply during North Carolina’s slow start to administer doses to hospital workers and people aged 75 and over.
The lack of strict residency requirements allows someone from South Carolina or other neighboring states in that profession or age group to receive the doses that the federal government has allocated to North Carolina residents.
“A provider cannot refuse to vaccinate someone who presents for vaccination if they fall into the open prioritization phase and do not have a vaccination contradiction, so a resident of another state could be vaccinated here if they fall into the appropriate open prioritization phase” , department said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this week ranked North Carolina as the sixth slowest country in administering doses it received from the federal government. The state is still working to vaccinate some of the hospital’s remaining staff and began vaccinating at least 75 years old people in several municipalities this week.
North Carolina officials reported on Friday that nearly 152,000 people received their first doses, while more than 9,000 also received their second dose. Almost 650,000 have been distributed to the state, according to the CDC.
Mandy Cohen, the state’s top public health official, said at a news conference on Friday that North Carolina residents do not need to be vaccinated in their county of residence, although they are encouraged to contact the health department. local.
Cohen warned that a variant of the coronavirus that circulated in Britain is “likely” already in North Carolina, although the virus mutation has not yet been detected.
“It is possible that this variant is here,” said Cohen. “In fact, it is likely. We are operating as if we are here. Now, he was not identified here. … We need to realize that this virus was contagious before and now it is even more contagious as we go along. “
This and the variant seen in South Africa are causing global concern because they seem to spread more easily, although the extent of the increased spread is not yet known. A Pfizer study suggests that the vaccine works against the two most contagious variants of the coronavirus.
For the second day in a row, North Carolina reported on Friday a single-day increase of more than 10,000 cases and 100 deaths. The state had not previously eclipsed 10,000 daily cases or seen consecutive days of three-digit deaths.
Almost 4,000 people are currently hospitalized due to the virus, which has limited the staff and capacity of the intensive care unit.
On Wednesday, Cooper extended the state’s 10 pm curfew for three weeks, but did not impose additional restrictions on companies or individuals. In November, Cooper added a stronger enforcement language to his statewide masking mandate. He also reduced internal meetings from a maximum of 25 to 10 people before Thanksgiving.
With few exceptions, Cooper has been very reluctant to add new restrictions in recent months. In a time of widespread refusal to wear masks, selective enforcement of executive orders and worsening COVID-19 metrics, healthcare professionals are increasingly frustrated.
In a letter to Cooper on Friday, the North Carolina Nurses Association warned of the serious consequences if the governor continues to maintain the status quo.
“Coronavirus numbers are already breaking horrible records and trends are pointing to worse news in the coming weeks,” the group wrote. “At the same time, hospitals and other health facilities are facing a terrible shortage of staff. If North Carolina does not take drastic measures, we will face a crisis that none of us want to consider, including overwork, understaffing and an inability to properly care for our fellow citizens. ”
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Follow Anderson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BryanRAnderson. Anderson is a member of the Associated Press / Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a national nonprofit service program that puts journalists in local newsrooms to report on covert issues.
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