Granville Vance Public Health Logo

GVPH Conducts COVID Testing Daily, Provides Important Reminders

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Granville Vance Public Health

UPDATE: North Carolina continues to prioritize increased access to testing, along with expanded contact tracing capacity to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH) offers testing for community members who have symptoms of COVID-19; for those who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive; or for those who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms.

As a reminder, although many have and can spread COVID-19 with no symptoms, symptoms of COVID-19 can include one or more of the following: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and congestion or runny nose.

A close contact is defined as anyone who was within six feet of an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more. Given the incubation period of Coronavirus, if you are a contact and are not experiencing any symptoms, it is recommended that you wait at least six days after your first known exposure to COVID-19 to get tested.

Additionally, you may have been unknowingly exposed to COVID-19 if you’re a frontline or essential worker; if you’ve attended a gathering with family, friends, or others who live outside your home; if you’ve dined indoors at a restaurant; or if you’ve attended large public or private events. If you believe you may have been exposed, we recommend you get tested. We can bill your insurance, or, if you are uninsured, we can provide a medical evaluation and testing for COVID-19 at no cost.

GVPH conducts testing every morning. In order to make an appointment for testing, please call us in Granville at (919) 693-2141 or Vance at (252) 492-7915. If someone has symptoms, we can offer telemedicine visits to provide a medical evaluation which would be recommended at that time.

Additionally, GVPH continues to work with our partners to support community-based testing events and other targeted efforts to help us reach historically marginalized populations and groups at higher risk of exposure. There are several other providers offering testing in our communities. To find out more about available testing locations near you, visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Find My Testing Place tool and the Check My Symptoms tool to determine if you will be recommended to be tested, both of which can be found at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/symptoms.

If you test positive for COVID-19 or believe you might have it, you should stay home and separate yourself from other people in the home as much as possible. If you test negative for COVID-19, that does not mean you will not get sick in the future, as you could turn positive within 14 days of exposure. You could also be exposed to COVID-19 after the test and then get infected and spread the virus to others. Therefore, the most important thing you can do to slow the spread of COVID-19 is to follow the 3 Ws: wait 6 feet away from others, wear a cloth face covering and wash your hands.

Vance County Courthouse

Vance County Court Sessions Canceled Through Nov. 25

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In response to an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Vance County Courthouse, the Hon. Henry Gupton informed WIZS News that court sessions are canceled for next week. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, this would include Monday, November 23, Tuesday, November 24 and Wednesday, November 25, 2020.

Gupton said, “I met with Granville Vance Health Department officials late yesterday afternoon concerning the current situation in my office, which is now considered by them to be a cluster. My office is currently open with limited staffing for filings that are required by North Carolina General Statute, and the courthouse remains open. However, after a conversation late yesterday afternoon with our Chief District Court Judge John W. Davis and our District Attorney Mike Waters, a decision has been made to cancel all courts in Vance County scheduled for next week, which would be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, in order to protect our staff as well as the citizens of Vance County.”

On Wednesday, the decision was made to cancel court for the rest of this week due to “two or three positive COVID tests of those who work in or around the courthouse and the courtrooms.” A thorough cleaning of the courthouse will be performed.

WIZS will bring you additional information on this situation as it is released.

Vance County Logo

Vance Public Safety Committee to Meet on Ambulance Franchise Application

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-Information courtesy the County of Vance

Vance County’s Public Safety Committee (Wilder, Brummitt, Taylor) is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 4 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the Administrative Conference Room of the Vance County Administration Building located at 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss an ambulance franchise application from North State Medical Transport.

Local News Audio

Noon News 11-19-20 Covid Outbreak At Court House; Covid19 Alert; City Of Henderson Covid Statement

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Stories include:

– Covid19 Outbreak at Vance Co. Court House

– Covid19 Alert System

– City of Henderson statement on Covid 19

For full details and audio click play

 

NC State Board of Elections

County Boards of Elections Complete Post-Election Audits

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-Press Release, NC State Board of Elections

As a statewide recount for a North Carolina Supreme Court contest begins in North Carolina, all 100 county boards of elections recently completed hand-to-eye audits for the 2020 general election, an important step in confirming accurate election results.

Pursuant to state law, the bipartisan county boards conduct a hand-to-eye audit of ballots from randomly selected voting groups. In a presidential election like 2020, the audited contest is always the president of the United States.

The audit is a comparison of the machine counts of ballots with hand-to-eye counts to ensure voting equipment recorded voters’ choices accurately. The voting systems and software of two companies – ES&S and Hart InterCivic – are certified for use in North Carolina. All counties use voting equipment from one of those companies.

Statewide, more than 150 Election Day precincts and 30 early voting sites were audited. Also, more than a dozen counties conducted a hand-to-eye audit of all mail-in absentee ballots.

Of the 200 voting groups audited, only 13 audits found any difference between the machine count and the human count, and all discrepancies were three votes or fewer. Most differences were attributed to human error, such as a voter marking outside of the bubble, or to human error during the hand count itself.

“We are glad to see that no significant issues were found during the audit,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “This successful audit is a testament to our elections officials and to the elections equipment used throughout the state. North Carolinians can be confident that their votes count.”

The State Board of Elections office conducts a series of post-election audits and investigations, where necessary, to ensure the integrity of election results. For more information on election security and audits, visit Post-Election Procedures and Audits.

The State Board will certify statewide results for most federal, statewide, multi-district and judicial contests during the state canvass at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 24. Results in each contest are not considered official until certified by the State Board.

After state canvass, the board of elections with jurisdiction over each contest will issue a certificate of election to the prevailing candidate.

NC Coop Extension

Register Now: ‘Backyard Ag’ Online Series for New Farmers

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, NC Cooperative Extension

Living on a small farm is a dream shared by many, but the reality can be overwhelming. Those new to farming face the daunting tasks of building infrastructure, figuring out what to grow, negotiating tax and regulatory issues, estimating costs and much more.

Fortunately, N.C. Cooperative Extension has a seven-part online class that will put you on the path to success. This class series, called Backyard Ag: Taking it to the Next Level, is brought to you by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Centers of Person, Granville, Vance and Warren counties.

Class participants will learn about options for small acreages, government assistance programs, business planning, marketing, equipment basics and much more.

The series will begin on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at 1 p.m. The class will continue on alternate Wednesdays through February 24, 2021. Each class will be held on the Zoom video conference platform, which can be accessed from any internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone.

Presenters will include local Ag Extension Agents, as well as representatives from other ag-related agencies. Registration is required and can be completed online at http://go.ncsu.edu/backyardag201.

City of Henderson Logo

City of Henderson Responds to COVID-19 Orange Alert Level

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On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) announced a new COVID-19 County Alert System to pinpoint counties with the highest levels of viral spread and offer specific recommendations to bring numbers down.

The system uses metrics informed by the White House Coronavirus Task Force and North Carolina’s key metrics to categorize counties into three tiers:

Yellow: Significant Community Spread

Orange: Substantial Community Spread

Red: Critical Community Spread

To be assigned to the red or orange tier, a county must meet the threshold for case rate for that tier AND the threshold for either percent positive OR hospital impact.

  • Case Rate: The number of new cases in 14 days per 100,000 people
  • Percent Positive: The percent of tests that are positive over 14 days
  • Hospital Impact: A composite score based on the impact that COVID-19 has had on hospitals including percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations, COVID-19 related visits to the Emergency Department, staffed open hospital beds and critical staffing shortages over 14 days

According to the current chart, Vance County is coded orange for substantial community spread with a 9.1% 14-Day Percent Positive rate; 464.8 14-Day Case Rate Per 100,000 and a moderate hospital impact.

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington responded to the Governor’s press conference and Vance County’s orange alert level:

“As we look to the ever-increasing cases of COVID-19, the City Manager and I have met, and we are strongly advising the citizens to adhere to the Governor’s mandatory mask mandate along with the other common-sense steps that have been made known by numerous health experts. As duly noted by our orange alert level that shows substantial community spread, we must take this very seriously and act now for the well being of everyone in our city and county. It is up to us to protect ourselves and one another. Please, think before you leave your home, enter businesses and as we gather for the upcoming holidays; lives are at risk. We cannot and must not move into the red alert level. As the Governor has stated: it is up to each individual city and its leaders to take action, and we are prepared to take those next steps.”

Ellington continued, “While we are not at this point as of now, similar to texting while driving and wearing your seatbelt, this certainly could result in a fine for blatant negligence. We are making it a priority to revisit and contact businesses as well as the faith community, urging them to refuse entry without a proper face covering. This falls on them to do their part. These are difficult decisions for leaders, and it’s a reflection on them; safety has to be paramount. As the Christmas season approaches, let’s not let it get to imposing stricter regulations. Just do the right thing for your fellow man.”

In information sent by the City, the state of NC is asking public officials in red and orange counties to consider expanding free COVID-19 testing, pass ordinances to create civil penalties for statewide order violations, increase enforcement of gathering size and setting the alcohol curfew earlier than the statewide rule of 11 p.m.

The City has not indicated that any such further restrictions are currently planned for Henderson. WIZS will bring you any additional information as it is released.

Vance County Courthouse

COVID Outbreak Closes Vance Co. Courthouse for Two Days

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Due to a small outbreak of COVID-19, the Vance County Courthouse is closed and will be closed Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20, 2020.

The Vance County Clerk of Court, the Hon. Henry Gupton, told WIZS News that two or three positive COVID tests have occurred, both in folks who work in or around the courthouse and the courtrooms and in those who appear in court.

Gupton said the Granville-Vance Public Health Department suggested the closing and a thorough cleaning.

There will be no court this Thursday and Friday. Gupton said he would be at the courthouse himself and a dropbox would be available outside for emergency filings.

Gupton said he wants to be there to help people; he wants everyone to know what is going on and that additional information would be available soon.

None of this news story should be used in any manner to make decisions beyond this week. Gupton will issue additional information as needed.

All indications at this time of publication are that the courthouse will be open next week.

Henderson Police Department

HPD: 17-Year-Old Shot by Juvenile Suspect Succumbs to Injury

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-Press Release, Henderson Police Department

On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, at approximately 5:50 p.m., officers of the Henderson Police Department arrived at 111 S. Pinkston Street in response to a person being shot. When responders arrived, they located 17-year-old Tysean Wortham of Henderson suffering from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Mr. Wortham was transported to a medical facility where he later succumbed to his injury.

Through the public’s assistance, the investigators of the Henderson Police Department quickly developed a suspect. Shortly after midnight, investigators were able to take the suspect, a 15-year-old juvenile, into custody without incident.

The motive behind this tragedy remains under investigation and no further information can be released about the arrestee due to his age.

As always, we are grateful for the community we serve and the assistance they provide us in our duties. We are still seeking information from the public about this incident. Please contact us through Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at (252) 492-1925 or P3 app, call us at (252) 438-4141, or contact us through Facebook or Instagram.

Rabies Alert

Skunk Found on Cross Creek Road Tests Positive for Rabies

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-Information courtesy Vance Co. Animal Services

Vance County Animal Services responded to a call on November 16, 2020, in reference to a possibly rabid skunk in the 800 block of Cross Creek Road in Henderson. The skunk was sent off for testing and has tested positive for rabies.

At this time, Animal Services is asking residents to please make sure that all dogs and cats are up-to-date on their rabies vaccines. Even if your pet is up-to-date, a booster vaccine is recommended if you live on or near Cross Creek Road.

The Vance County Animal Shelter offers rabies vaccines for $5. Hours of operation are Monday 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; and Saturday 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.