This came as the CDC changed its recommendations to allow anyone two weeks out from their final COVID-19 vaccine to choose not to wear masks.
But Wilmington-area health officials said as mandates are lifted, they won’t be “policing” mask wearing if someone isn’t vaccinated. Carla Turner, New Hanover County assistant health director, said there’s no easy way to identify who has or hasn’t been vaccinated outside of asking individuals and even then, no one would be required to answer.
“We will have to hope that people will do the right thing and if they have not been vaccinated that they’ll continue to wear their masks,” she said.
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More than 60,000 people have been fully vaccinated in New Hanover County. (Port City Daily / Courtesy New Hanover County)
While just a month or so ago, folks were scurrying to get hard-to-come-by vaccine appointments in the tri-county region, today slots are readily available. Currently, all three public health departments New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender are reporting appointments open. They have been all week, in fact.
Does that mean people are less interested in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine? Or that there is more supply?
Judging by state numbers alone, over the last five weeks, North Carolina was vaccinating over 400,000 people a week, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ dashboard. This week the number was down almost by half, at around 230,000 vaccinations.
Residents in the Creekside subdivision of Burgaw were terrified after a rabid bobcat attacked three neighbors this month.
A resident was captured on a viral video fighting off the angry animal. Although the April 9 life-threatening incident is rare, local health department and law officials are still urging the public to stay vigilant of wild animals and act when needed. The bobcat scare is an example of the unexpected.
Carolyn Moser, director of Pender County Health and Human Services, said it was unusual and a first for many people in the area. When it comes to rabies, it’s usually foxes and raccoons.
The New Hanover County Health and Human Services building.
In the Cape Fear region, spending for public health has been dropping for close to a decade. Some of the reasons that account for this are the decrease in program offerings and the rise of private and non-profit health services, but some officials would like to see funding boosted.
Expenditures have gone down. Why?
Public health departments provide services like inspections of schools and restaurants, communicable disease prevention, and maternal health.
But over the past decade, county health departments across the state have decreased their spending. It’s a trend consistent with about