If you’re a numbers kind of person, here are some statistics regarding COVID-19 and the vaccine war in the region.
Remember that data is a tricky thing, and the numbers depend on the sources. State figures rarely match local figures. For instance, while the NCDHHS has listed Craven with having given 14,922 first doses of vaccine as of March 3, the county’s figures list that number as 14,314. This article uses NCDHHS figures.
Here are the figures given by NCDHHS, COVID and vaccine-wise in area counties:
COVID, as of March 3:
Statewide, on March 3rd, 2,145 cases were reported, compared to a high of 12,079 on February 3. 24,503 tests had been administered compared to a high of 68,640 on February 4. 1,303 people were hospitalized as compared to a high of 2,789 on January 31st. The total cases of COVID in the state are 865,554 out of an estimated statewide population of 10,488,084. The total deaths have been 11,389. That means that roughly 8 percent of the state’s residents have
Craven County Health Director Scott Harrelson believes that the county is seeing the light at the end of the COVID tunnel as more senior residents are inoculated and the number of people qualified to receive their shots is enlarged.
He noted that while, in the past, registrations for the vaccine would fill in a matter of half an hour, now they are remaining open longer – a sign that the vaccination process is going well. “We had over 250 appointments open for over 24 hours,” he said. “That’s the first time we had that. With less demand, we decided to open to teachers and daycare workers.”
Sun Journal
Craven County Health Director Scott Harrelson has announced a delay in this week’s COVID vaccine clinic at the Riverfront Convention Center. Due to delivery delays caused by severe weather, “We are rescheduling our second shot doses scheduled for next Tuesday,” he said. “If the vaccine does not arrive by Tuesday we will also have to reschedule our second dose clinic for Wednesday as well.”
Anyone scheduled for the clinic will be notified with their new appointment time by phone, email and text. The make up day will be Friday, February 26. Appointments will be at the same time as the original appointment time.
Sun Journal
Craven County Health Director Scott Harrelson had just gotten off the phone when he returned my call. He’d been trying to calm down angry senior citizens wondering what’s taking so long to get their COVID vaccines. “It’s been a real week,” he sighed. “The state really did a number on us this last go-round.”
Harrelson does not hide his frustration with the state. Craven County has been working tirelessly to get out every dose it receives, he said – a kind of triumvirate between the county, Coastal Carolina Health Care and CarolinaEast Health Systems, reaching out to patients and residents and setting up appointments to use every dose the county gets. “We’re getting rid of it within seven days of receiving it,” he said.
The first COVID-19 vaccinations released to the public continue to stir controversy and with that day shortly approaching for health care workers, we now know how it will be administered: another phased approach of combating the coronavirus.
Onslow County Manager Sharon Russell said Monday afternoon the first batch of vaccines should be arriving within the next few days for the health care workers who come in contact with coronavirus patients.
Onslow County Health Department and Onslow Emergency Services are in the process of planning for future phases of vaccine administration, according to a news release. Listed among those earlier phases are nursing homes, law enforcement and public safety essential employees.