Recent COVID numbers in Clay County
Clay County's COVID-19 death toll has risen to 11 after the deaths of three more residents at Clay County Care Center. Clay County Health Department said two of the individuals were in their 80s and a third was more than 90 years old.
All three suffered from pre-existing health conditions. A total of five residents have now died from COVID-19 during the outbreak at the facility. As of Tuesday, the health department reported 38 active cases of the virus in Clay County, not including the cases at the care center, while area hospitals have continued to shoulder heavy burdens due to the pandemic.
"Similarly to other hospitals in our region, Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital has seen a significant increase in COVID-19-related admissions," said Teresa Bowleg, Director of Operations/Associate Chief Nursing Officer. "The hospital has been at capacity or has been close to reaching capacity due to COVID-19 at points during the past three weeks."
Clay County Health Department has asked for patience as its staff continues to administer vaccinations in Group 2 of the roll-out. Group 2 consists of anyone 65 years or older, regardless of health status or living situation. "If you have been put on the list there is no need to call to check if you are still on it," the department said in a statement Tuesday. "If you need to be put on the list and are 65 and older, give us a call (828) 389-8052."
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced short-term and longer-term measures aimed at combating the pandemic, including the purchase of 200 million more vaccine doses. The newest order will be evenly split, with 10 million coming from Pfizer/BioNTech and 100 million more from Moderna.
The goal is to have enough doses to vaccinate 300 million people, almost the entire United States population, by the end of summer or early fall. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, during a Tuesday conference call with governors, said, “The Biden Administration also committed to increase vaccine shipments to the states by 16 percent over the next three weeks.” "This is great news in that the state has now administered 95 percent of the first doses it has received and given more than 810,000 vaccinations and many frustrated North Carolinians are ready for their shot." Cooper said on Twitter.
The announcements came a day after the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services identified the state's first case of a COVID-19 variant believed to be highly contagious. An adult in Mecklenburg County tested positive for the variant, called B.1.1.7., which was first identified in the United Kingdom in December. "Early data suggest that this variant may be more contagious than other variants," NCDHHS said in a statement.
It is one of four variants being closely monitored by public health officials, who fear that one or more of these emerging strains may not only be more contagious, but also deadlier than the versions that have been spreading across the U.S. for almost a full year. Current COVID-19 vaccines are believed to be effective against the B.1.1.7. variant, according to officials. However, local, state and national officials alike are stressing that, for the time being, simple preventative measures — not vaccines — remain the best weapons against COVID-19. Those measures include washing your hands, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask.