A mass vaccination event is scheduled next week for the elderly population in Sampson County, even as the governor has announced that he has mobilized National Guard personnel to provide assistance to local health workers.

There have been 132 new positive COVID-19 tests and six additional deaths in Sampson County since Dec. 31, according to reports from the Sampson County Health Department, which released updates for Jan. 4 and Jan. 5 simultaneously on Tuesday, along with a notice of the mass vaccination event set for the elderly population next week.

The Sampson County Health Department will hold a drive-through mass vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center.

Vaccinations will be available only for those persons aged 75 and older, in accordance with the state’s revised 1b vaccine prioritization effective Dec. 30.

“Vaccinations will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis that day and as available vaccine supply allows,” a county statement ready.

Eligible individuals seeking vaccination are encouraged to bring an ID or some verification of date of birth. The Sampson County Health Department provided a tentative timeline for vaccinations to be available to members of the general public, based on federal guidance regarding priority groups.

Governor Roy Cooper on Tuesday said ensuring that vaccines are administered efficiently and expeditiously was “top priority.”

“We will use all resources and personnel needed,” the governor stated. “I’ve mobilized the NC National Guard to provide support to local health providers as we continue to increase the pace of vaccinations.”

In Sampson, there were 14,119 COVID-19 tests performed as of Tuesday. From that total, 8,946 have been negative to go along with 5,173 positives. Deaths in Sampson attributed to COVID-19 total 65, up from the 59 at the county’s most recent report Dec. 31.

Statewide as of noon Tuesday, the total laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases to date in North Carolina totaled 575,396, which amounts to 5,385 newly-reported cases since the previous day.

As of Tuesday, the state tallied 6,996 deaths due to COVID-19, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Dashboard. According to figures provided by health officials, 3,781 people are hospitalized, as the number continues its upward trend.

There were approximately 7.15 million tests performed across North Carolina as of noon Tuesday, the figures show.

Vaccination data is now being provided by NCDHHS to show how many people — by county of residence and across the state — have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A new vaccination report was released Tuesday that showed 109,799 people across North Carolina have now received the first vaccination dose.

The data reflects vaccinations administered between Dec. 14, 2020-Jan. 5, 2021.

From that total, 571 people have been vaccinated in Sampson County, the state numbers show. There can be a 72-hour lag in data reported to state. The vaccination data is expected to be updated every Tuesday, according to the state.

Vaccination plan in Sampson

On Dec. 30, the NCDHHS, with input from the NC Vaccine Advisory Committee, revised its Phase 1b and Phase 2 vaccine rollout plan to more closely align with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s revised guidance.

Given the limited amount of vaccine available, the NC Phase 1b vaccination prioritization was revised to identify persons aged 75 and older as Group 1 priority, with authorization for vaccine administration to this group open as of Jan. 6 for some providers and for most providers by Jan. 11.

This phase also continues with vaccination of those in the 1a category, which were defined as healthcare workers at high risk for COVID-19 exposure based on work duties or vital to the initial COVID-19 vaccine response.

High risk of exposure was defined as those caring for COVID-19 patients, cleaning areas where COVID-19 patients are admitted, performing procedures at high risk of aerosolization (e.g., intubation, bronchoscopy, suctioning, invasive dental procedures, invasive specimen collection, CPR), handling decedents with COVID-19 and administering vaccine in initial closed or targeted vaccination clinics.

The Sampson County Health Department began vaccinations for those in the 1a category on Dec. 30, with Sampson Regional Medical Center administering its first doses the week prior.

Persons meeting these criteria for health care workers at high risk can contact the Health Department’s COVID hotline at 910-490-1056 to inquire about appointments for vaccination.

According to Sampson County officials, because there is not enough vaccine for everyone in Phase 1b to be vaccinated at the same time, vaccinations will available in different categories, in the following order:

• Phase 1b – Group 1: Anyone 75 years and older (available after Jan. 11)

• Phase 1b – Group 2: Health care workers (not vaccinated in Phase 1a) and frontline essential workers 50 years or older (vaccine supply will dictate when available, likely after Jan. 20)

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) identifies these frontline workers as those who work in a setting that puts them at risk for exposure, including:

· First responders (e.g. firefighters, law enforcement)

· Corrections officers

· Food and agricultural workers

· US Postal Services workers

· Manufacturing workers

· Grocery store workers

· Public transit workers

· Education and childcare workers (teacher, support staff, daycare)

• Phase 1b – Group 3: Health care workers and frontline essential workers (as defined above) of any age (vaccine supply will dictate when available, likely after Feb. 8)

“All of the vaccination timelines are subject to change based upon when the State (and then local health departments) receive their vaccine supplies,” a Sampson County Health Department statement read. “No additional information is available at the present with regarding to vaccine scheduling or access, and there is no registration portal available to the general public at this time.”

Additional information about future mass vaccination clinics, scheduling or registration will be released as it becomes available on Sampson County’s website, at www.sampsonnc.com, and social media as well as via The Sampson Independent newspaper and social media.

Rise in numbers continues

North Carolina reported new records for key COVID-19 metrics to start the year, with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reporting new highs in one-day cases and hospitalizations on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2.

On Jan. 1, North Carolina reported its highest one-day number of COVID-19 cases with 9,527 new cases reported, exceeding the state’s previous highest day set on Dec. 18, 2020 by more than 1,000. Cases remained high Jan. 2, with 9,356 new cases reported, the NCDHHS stated.

Records were also set for the percent of tests that were positive and hospitalizations. On Jan. 2, 15.5% of tests were positive, the highest rate since the start of the pandemic. In addition, 3,479 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 and 783 people were in the intensive care unit —numbers that were even higher in Monday’s report.

“We begin 2021 in our most dangerous position in this pandemic. We have critically high rates of spread in much of our state,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D., stated “I encourage you to avoid getting together indoors with anyone who doesn’t live with you. If you plan to see other people keep it outside and very small. Wear a mask the whole time. We must do all that we can to protect one another.”

Last week, the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued stark warnings to North Carolinians, including:

• If you are under 40 and you gathered beyond your immediate household, you need to assume you became infected with COVID-19 even if you don’t have any symptoms. You are dangerous to others and must isolate away from anyone at increased risk for severe disease and get tested.

• If you are over 65 or if you have significant health conditions, you should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked and you should have groceries and medications delivered.

North Carolina’s Modified Stay at Home Order is in effect. This order requires people to stay at home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Businesses including restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, personal care businesses, most retail stores and more, are required to close by 10 p.m.

In addition, all onsite alcohol consumption sales must end by 9 p.m.

New COVID-19 County Alert

According to the most recent update of the COVID-19 County Alert System, Sampson County is now orange, indicating “substantial community spread,” downgraded from its previous red classification indicating “critical community spread.”

The system uses a combination of case rate, the percent of tests that are positive, and hospital impact within the county. While cases are up considerably in Sampson, the percent positive has dipped, the alert shows.

The Dec. 22 update for the COVID-19 County Alert System revealed that nearly two-thirds of North Carolina counties are currently sites of “critical community spread.” There are now 65 red counties, 27 orange counties, and only eight yellow counties. The previous Dec. 8 update showed 48 red counties, 34 orange counties, and 18 yellow counties.

A new update was expected on Tuesday, but had not been unveiled as of 5 p.m.

The COVID-19 County Alert System uses a combination of three metrics: case rate (number of new cases in 14 days per 100,000 people), the percent of tests that are positive over 14 days, and hospital impact within the county. Hospital impact is measured via a composite score that includes the percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations, COVID-19 related visits to the Emergency Department, staffed open hospital beds, and critical staffing shortages over 14 days.

To meet critical, counties must have a new case rate of at least 200 per 100,000 population with at least 42 cases in the past 14 days and have either a 10% or greater 14-day percent positive or a high impact on county hospitals. To meet substantial spread, counties must have a new case rate between 101 and 200 per 100,000 people in 14 days, with at least 21 cases in a two-week period, as well as percent positive rate between 8% and 10% or moderate hospital impact.

According to the Dec. 22 alert system report, Sampson’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 people was 908, up from the 657.9 in the Dec. 8 report and the 574.5 in the Nov. 23 report. The most recent 14-day percent positive in Sampson was 9.1%, down from the 10.3% in the previous report.

Editor Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2587.