PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Alamance County Board of Commissioners will hold special meetings on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 and Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. in the County Commissioners’ Meeting Room located on the 2nd floor of the County Office Building, 124 West Elm Street, Graham, NC 27253. The purpose of these meetings will be to hear fiscal year 2021-22 budget request from county departments, school system, ACC, and outside agencies. At the April 21 meeting and the April 22 meeting, the Board will go into closed session to discuss the performance of employees pursuant to N.C.G.S. Section 143-318.11 (6).
The health and safety of its residents continues to be the highest priority of Alamance County. We are observing the current provisions of any Executive Orders related to mass gatherings and public health guidance on social distancing. In recognition of the Governor’s Recommendations to Promote Social Distancing and Reduce Transmission, there will be no meeting place where the members of the public can be physically present. In order to ensure the health and safety of the Board, staff and general public, access to the regular meeting is available in the following 3 ways:
There will also be a link on the county home page (https://www.alamance-nc.com) above the banner that will say “Click Here to watch Live Special Commissioners’ Meeting”
MORE IN MY BASKET WITH ALAMANCE COUNTY SNAP AND WIC PROGRAMS APRIL 12, 2021 AT 12 PM EDT YOUTUBE LIVE CHANNEL: ALAMANCE COUNTY CES
Ever wondered if you’re eligible to receive food assistance? Learn about eligibility, how to apply, and ask a group of panelists any questions you might have. You can submit questions to eleanor_frederick@ncsu.edu before the event or use the YouTube live chat during the session. The recording can be viewed afterwards at https://go.ncsu.edu/morefoodalamance
MÁS EN MICANASTA CON EL CONDADO DE ALAMANCE Y LOS PROGRAMAS DE SNAP Y WIC 12 DE ABRIL DE 2021 A LAS 12 P.M. EDT YOUTUBE EN VIVO CANAL: ALAMANCE CES
¿Alguna vez se ha preguntado si es elegible para recibir asistencia alimentaria? Obtenga información sobre la elegibilidad, cómo presentar una solicitud y pregunte a un grupo de panelistas cualquier pregunta que pueda tener.Puede enviar preguntas a eleanor_frederick@ncsu.edu antesdel evento o usar el chat en vivo de YouTube durante lasesión. La grabación se puede ver posteriormente en https://go.ncsu.edu/morefoodalamance
BURLINGTON – Alamance County Health Department has identified a COVID-19 cluster at Hillcrest Elementary in Burlington. Currently, five (5) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among four (4) staff and one (1) child. The cases will be included on the biweekly Child Care and School Settings report for NC DHHS. NC DHHS defines a cluster as minimum of five laboratory-confirmed cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.
“Alamance-Burlington Schools relies heavily on the expert health and safety guidance provided by ACHD staff,” remarked Bruce Benson, ABSS Superintendent. “We sincerely appreciate their public health expertise as our schools continue to navigate the complexities of the covid-19 virus. Our ability to open and operate schools successfully is a tribute to the strong leadership and experience of our local health department professionals.”
“Alamance County Health Department worked closely with ABSS to identify cases and responded quickly to mitigate the cluster,” stated Health Director Tony Lo Giudice. “We will continue to offer guidance to ensure the safety of staff, children, and the community.”
Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20, 2020. Since then, a total of 17,730 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 17,059 have been released from isolation and 413 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 5 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 258 COVID-19 related deaths. COVID-related deaths include only patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, and who died without fully recovering from the disease.
COVID-19 vaccinations are available to all residents ages 16 and older. Anyone age 16 and older desiring an appointment can go to vaccinatealamance.com or call 336-290-0650. Although the percent of positive COVID-19 cases has decreased in the county, we still need to be mindful that COVID-19 is still prevalent. It is important to take steps to reduce your risks of contracting COVID-19, specifically wearing a face covering, maintaining physical distance and avoiding crowds, and washing your hands and cleaning commonly used surfaces regularly. These steps are imperative to control the spread of COVID-19. The health of you, your loved ones, and the community are what matters.
Any thunderstorm can produce strong winds, lightning or hail that can be deadly and damaging. Know what to do and where to go when severe storms threaten your area.
Learn more in the PDF document attached to this story.
With pandemic lock downs and a cold, wet winter, most of us are looking forward to spring showers and May flowers. However, those showers may come as severe thunderstorms with potential lightning, tornadoes and flash flooding – all of which can develop so rapidly that an advance warning may be impossible. A great activity to take on while still indoors awaiting for the arrival of spring is to get prepared by updating your family emergency plan and supply kit so you are ready should severe weather strike.
To encourage planning and preparation for severe weather, March 7-13, 2021 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina and serves as a reminder to all, the importance of planning for unexpected thunderstorms and tornadoes that could impact our state.
Government agencies, businesses and schools will participate in the annual statewide tornado drill Wednesday, March 10th, at 9:30 a.m. While exercising social distancing and mask wearing we encourage everyone to practice their severe weather safety plan and seek shelter on the lowest floor of your building and away from windows. Practicing now will allow you to respond quickly when severe weather heads your way.
All residents should take this opportunity to practice what to do in the event that a severe thunderstorm or tornado takes place. Tornadoes and flash floods can develop at a moment’s notice; take time now to prepare and keep you and your loved ones safe.
Keep your home a safe haven this severe weather season and use the following safety tips:
Develop a family emergency plan and discuss thunderstorm safety with all members of your household. Make sure your family knows basic safety measures, such as first aid, CPR and how to use a fire extinguisher.
Assemble an emergency supplies kit. Include a 3-day supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water. Keep it in a location that is easy to access.
Stay alert by listening to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio.
Practice your plan. Make sure every family member is aware of where to go, what to do and who to call in case of an emergency.
Find more information on tornadoes, severe storms and emergency preparedness by visiting the ReadyNC website, www.ReadyNC.org.
Alamance County, take time now to prepare; it could make all the difference.
BURLINGTON – On March 3, NC DHHS updated their COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan to include all essential workers. At the time, Alamance County Health Department chose to take the remainder of the week to complete vaccinations for pre-K-12 school staff and childcare workers. After reviewing the vaccinations given thus far, as well as our forthcoming vaccine supply and the increase in vaccination providers in the county, Alamance County Health Department has determined that effective March 8 we will transition to vaccinating all essential workers, as defined by NC DHHS.
COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made through the new online appointment system https://www.vaccinatealamance.com beginning March 8 at 8:30 am. For those without internet access, the COVID-19 vaccine call center will open on March 8 at 08:30 am to begin scheduling appointments. The number to call for an appointment is 336-290-0650.
The Health Department fills appointments based on its current vaccine supply. If you make an appointment and are unable to keep it, or if you choose to receive your vaccination elsewhere, please call 336-290-0655 to cancel the appointment. This will help to alleviate the possibility of vacant appointment times. This number is for cancellations only; do not call this number for appointments.
The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media.
– Persons seeking to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine now have two convenient options. Beginning March 1, COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made online at https://www.vaccinatealamance.com. The online appointment system will go live at 8:30am and will remain open until all appointments are filled. We will continue to schedule appointments through the COVID-19 Vaccination Call Center. The call center will open March 1 at 8:30am and remain open until 4:30pm, or until all available appointments are filled. The number to call for an appointment is 336-290-0650.
Online and phone appointments are available for Group1- Healthcare Workers, Group 2- Adults 65 years and older. Appointments for Group 3- Pre-K-12 School Staff and Childcare Staff are being made directly with the school system and/or facility employers.
As a reminder, available appointments are based on current vaccine supply. The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media
On Saturday, Feb. 27, the Alamance County Health Department and Cone Health will open a new facility designed to provide COVID-19 vaccines daily to eligible residents. Appointments are required.
The new facility is located at 2401 Eric Lane, Unit 100, Burlington, NC 27215. Its immediate focus will be on vaccination of healthcare workers and persons 65 and over, but will also incorporate vaccinating employees of childcare centers and pre-K-12 schools as more vaccine becomes available. The site will service new populations become eligible for vaccination. Both Alamance County and Cone Health are providing all vaccine doses provided to them each week by the state to those eligible.
“Alamance County and Cone Health have had a long-standing partnership, and we are excited about the continued collaboration between our local county health department and Cone Health to get our residents vaccinated for COVID-19”, stated Commissioner Chair John Paisley. “It is important that we’re able to make the vaccine available and accessible to as many people that want to receive it. We are appreciative to all of the staff and volunteers that have devoted many hours to this initiative.”
APPOINTMENTS FOR THOSE 65 AND OVER The process to schedule appointments for those 65 and over includes two options:
Join Cone Health’s COVID-19 vaccine wait list by online registration at conehealth.com/vaccine
Contact the Alamance County Health Department by phone to schedule an appointment, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or until all appointment slots are filled. Call 336-290-0650. Please exercise patience as call volumes will be high. More information is available here.
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE In preparation to vaccinate eligible pre-K-12 school staff and childcare workers, the Alamance County Health Department is working directly with Alamance-Burlington School System, private schools and childcare centers throughout the county to ensure that any staff person that wants a vaccine can receive a vaccine. Cone Health is providing clinical staff to vaccinate members of the education workforce.
On Friday, Feb. 26, Cone Health will move its COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Alamance County, currently located at 2363 Corporation Parkway in Burlington to the new site. All vaccine appointments at the Corporation Parkway site through Thursday, Feb. 25 will still take place there. Cone Health will continue to offer COVID-19 testing at the Corporation Parkway site, with hours of operation and test scheduling available here. Similarly, Alamance County Health Department will also move its COVID-19 vaccine clinic located at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Burlington to the new Eric Lane site on February 26. This move affects the CTEC site only; second dose vaccinations will continue at the Burlington Athletic Park.
Alamance County Health Department is currently offering COVID-19 vaccinations to people 75 and older, and those first responders and healthcare workers that have not yet been vaccinated, by appointment only. Beginning Wednesday, January 20, multi-day appointments can be made for Thursday, January 21 through Tuesday, January 26. Callers will be assigned a specific day and time. Interested persons should call 336-290-0650 to make an appointment. The COVID-19 vaccine appointment line is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm, or until all appointment slots are full.
Expect high call volumes and wait times. Please exercise patience.
BURLINGTON – Alamance County Health Department has identified a COVID-19 cluster at Positive Attitudes Youth Center (PAYC) in Burlington, and Southern Alamance High School in Graham. Currently, eight (8) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among six (6) children and two (2) staff at PAYC. At Southern Alamance, six (6) cases have been confirmed among three (3) children and three (3) staff. The cases will be included on the biweekly Child Care and School Settings report for NC DHHS. NC DHHS defines a cluster as minimum of five laboratory-confirmed cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.
A COVID-19 outbreak has been identified at Brookdale Senior Living-Memory Care in Burlington. Currently, fifteen (15) cases have been confirmed among thirteen (13) residents and two (2) staff. NC DHHS defines an outbreak as two laboratory-confirmed cases in a period of 28 days within a congregate living or long-term care facility. Regular testing is required through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in order to provide surveillance as protective factor for both staff and residents.
“We very much appreciate our close partnership with the Alamance County Health Department and rely on their professional expertise and guidance for the health and safety of our students and staff,” stated Superintendent Bruce Benson. “We have notified staff and families of our students about the cluster announcement per our established protocols and continue to reinforce the extensive health and safety protocols we have in place. The areas of the school buildings where the identified individuals were present have already undergone a systematic cleaning and disinfection ensuring that our operations at the schools can continue.”
Heather Hunter, Communications Manager with Brookdale Senior Living stated, “Brookdale’s top priority is the health and safety of our residents, patients, and associates. We have informed residents, their family members, and associates of Brookdale Burlington Memory Care of this matter. We are diligently monitoring our residents and associates for signs and symptoms, and we continue to work directly with local health officials to help ensure our residents and associates have the appropriate and necessary medical support. We will continue to follow the guidance of the health departments throughout this situation. Additionally, we have been closely following our established policies and procedures for contagious illnesses and are also closely following the guidance and protocols recommended by the local and state health departments and the CDC.”
Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20. Since then, a total of 12,644 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 10,911 have been released from isolation and 1553 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 79 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 180 COVID-19 related deaths. COVID-related deaths include only patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, and who died without fully recovering from the disease.
COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise in Alamance and surrounding counties. Currently, the number of active COVID-19 cases are at an all-time high. It is important to take steps to reduce your risks of contracting COVID-19, specifically wearing a face covering, maintaining physical distance and avoiding crowds, and washing your hands and cleaning commonly used surfaces regularly. These steps are imperative to control the spread of COVID-19. The health of you, your loved ones, and the community are what matters.