North Carolina now has 43.69% of the population fully vaccinated, with 50.3% partially vaccinated. Gov. Cooper has been making his rounds to vaccination sites…
New Hanover County has inoculated 34% of its population. (Port City Daily/File)
North Carolina now has 46.4% of the population fully vaccinated, with 51.5% partially vaccinated. Gov. Cooper had been pressing the message over the last few months that he would lift the mask mandate when two-thirds of the population have at least one shot. Yet, following the CDC’s announcement last week that vaccinated people could go maskless in public, the governor surprised North Carolinians on Friday by announcing he would drop masks for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
The only exception: Masks must still be worn on public transportation, in childcare centers, schools, prisons, and other public-health settings.
New Hanover and Brunswick counties, as well as UNCW and NHRMC will halt the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Port City Daily/File)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it will pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States, causing N.C. public health, local counties and providers to follow suit on Tuesday.
The pause comes after six 18-to-48-year-old women, within six to 13 days after receiving the J&J vaccine, were diagnosed with a rare blood clot (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) in combination with low blood platelets (thrombocytopenia). It left one dead and another in serious condition.
Cooper announced that a mask mandate could be eased by June 1, with more restrictions lifting if two-thirds of the population has at least one shot. (Port City Daily/File)
Governor Roy Cooper is looking toward June 1 to lighten restrictions that North Carolinians have been following throughout Covid-19, from business capacity and gathering limitations to social-distancing measures. Dr. Mandy Cohen, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, said masks and safety recommendations will be heavily ongoing through the next month to ensure the goals are reached.
“I plan to issue an executive order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May,” Cooper added.
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.