Tag Archive for: #granvillevancepublichealth

The Local Skinny! Gang Free Inc. Has Masks; COVID-19 Update

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Need some N95 masks? Look no further than Gang Free Inc. Founder Melissa Elliott said she’s got plenty, with more ordered and on the way.

Elliott told WIZS News Monday that anyone in the community who would like masks can simply head out to the Gang Free, Inc. location at 940 County Home Road any weekday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Elliott said the masks come from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and are free. She also has COVID-19 at-home rapid tests available.

She estimates that her organization has distributed more than 6,000 masks and 2,000 test kits in the past couple of weeks. Recipients include area police departments and other agencies.

“If people need them, they can come and get them,” Elliott said.

Each box contains 20 N95 masks, and she gives larger groups like churches a whole case – 240 masks in all – if they need them. The test kits come two to a box, with 90 boxes in a case.

She said she didn’t want anyone in the community to have to pay for taking a COVID-19 test when her organization has them available free for the asking.

According to the most recent COVID-19 update from Granville Vance Public Health, both counties continue to be in the high community transmission rate. Vance County reported 358 new cases for 28.7 percent and Granville County reported 439 new cases for 22.5 percent positivity rate.

There have been 13,461 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 11,380 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 24,841 across the health district.

In the Bureau of Federal Prisons in Butner, there were 44 Granville County inmates whose positive test results were reported to the local health department in the last week. In addition, there are currently 20 staff of the federal prison with COVID-19 (including 17 Granville County residents and 3 Vance County residents).

Granville County has documented 110 deaths as a result of COVID-19 and Vance County has a total of 111 deaths for a total of 221 deaths across the health district.

 

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Omicron Variant Accounts For 99 Percent Of New COVID-19 Cases In Vance, Granville

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The Omicron variant accounts for 99 percent of all new cases across the Granville Vance Health district, which reported a total of almost 1,400 new cases as of Friday, Jan. 28.Vance County reported 569 new cases and Granville reported 825 in the past seven days which ended Jan. 27, according to GVPH Director Lisa Harrison’s weekly update.

Vance County’s 32.7 percent positive rate and Granville’s 27 percent positivity rate still put both counties in the high transmission for new cases.There have been 13,095 cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and 10,959 cases of COVID-19 in Vance County for a total of 24,054 across the health district.

There were 35 Butner Federal Prison inmates reported as COVID positive to the health department on the Granville County side this week and 16 staff members of the Butner Federal Prison who are currently positive for COVID-19 are residents of the health district.

Each county has documented 110 deaths as a result of COVID-19 for a total of 220, up three from last week’s total of 217. In Vance County, a 47-year-old male died in hospital on Jan. 22 and in Granville County, a 73-year-old male died in hospital Jan. 25.

The update also included the most recent seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 deaths across the United States, which continues to climb. As of Thursday, Jan. 27, 2,267 deaths had been reported. “Nearly all cases of COVID-19 which are typed across the country right now are Omicron,” Harrison stated in the update. “Just because less severe disease is happening with this variant for many people – and many people may not even show or feel symptoms – that doesn’t mean Omicron isn’t still deadly to some. It’s especially dangerous for the unvaccinated who are more likely to have severe illness and need hospitalization. Given the sheer amount of spread we are experiencing across the country of this variant, we still see high numbers of those hospitalized and those dying from COVID-19.” High numbers of hospitalizations also are being recorded in the state and in the region.

Vaccinations, boosters, mask wearing and maintaining social distancing protocols are still the best protections against COVID-19.

Here are the most recent county numbers:

In Vance County:

·       65 percent of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 59 percent have been vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

·       19 percent of those ages 5-11 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 11 percent are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.

·       48 percent of those ages 12-17 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 42 percent are vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

·       10,000 of those over the age of 12 are vaccinated with at least one booster/additional dose

In Granville County:

·       69 percent of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 64 percent are vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

·       21 percent of those ages 5-11 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 15 percent are up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.

·       45 percent of those ages 12-17 years old have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 41 percent are vaccinated with at least two doses or one dose of J&J.

·       15,304 of those over the age of 12 are vaccinated with at least one booster/additional dose.

COVID-19 tests are available in the following locations in the two counties:

·       Rural Health Group at Henderson, 100 Parkview Dr. West, Henderson, Mon-Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

·       Vance County Schools Central Office, 1724 Graham Ave., Henderson, Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

·       CVS and Walgreens, by appointment

·       Butner-Stem Middle School, 501 E. D St., Butner, Mon-Wed., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

·       Mary Potter Center for Innovation, 200 Taylor St., Oxford, Thur.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

·       Spectrum Medical Solutions, 119 Hilltop Village, Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

 

 
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COVID-19 Cases Up In Vance, Granville; No Omicron Reported

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Although the omicron strain of COVID-19 has been identified in several counties in North Carolina, there have been no cases found in Vance or Granville counties –  so far.

The Delta variant continues to pose problems for the community, and Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison said cases are up in both counties her department covers. In the 7-day period ending Friday, there were 118 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 9.4%.

In the same period in Granville County, 124 new cases were reported. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 5.3%.

In Vance County, 63% of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 57% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 67% of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 63% are fully vaccinated.

When asked by WIZS about urban and rural areas and the local situation with COVID-19 and its variants, Harrison said, “we are seeing an increase in cases overall, and per capita, rural and urban are both seeing increases at about the same rate – rural areas may eclipse urban in this next wave actually since our vaccination rates are lower.”

“Omicron is in about 35 states, but no, we don’t see a lot of it yet in NC… I suspect it will rapidly increase in the coming weeks. Hopefully it will not overtake Delta, but we know it spreads super-fast and it could. Even if it doesn’t cause disease that is as severe as Delta, if there’s more of it over time, we still have to worry about our hospitals’ capacities to address the severely ill,” Harrison cautioned.

“The very best tool we have to fight this virus and protect our health care system is vaccination,” Harrison said. “We are grateful we have safe and effective vaccines for those 5 and older, and we are seeing more and more people decide to get their booster, which is important to ensure the immune system is as strong as it can be against any new strains of the virus.”

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TownTalk: Lisa Harrison Praises Area Healthcare Workers; Appears Before Congress

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If you receive a postcard in the mail from Granville Vance Public Health in the next little bit, Lisa Harrison surely would appreciate it if you agree to help out with a project that is currently underway in the two-county area.

Harrison, GVPH director, said the health department is conducting its community assessment to solicit information from residents about what is foremost on their minds with regard to health issues.

She told John C. Rose on Town Talk Wednesday that the health district is going to be sending out postcards to about 4,000 individuals – chosen at random – to complete an online survey that will be used to complete the community health assessment.

In addition, there will be two focus groups held next week – one at Gang Free Inc, 940 County Home Rd., Henderson on Nov. 16 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and a second at Oxford United Methodist Church, 105 W. McClanahan St., Oxford on Nov. 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For the past several years, the health department has focused on mental health, substance abuse, youth well-being and access to health care services. Results from the current community assessment will help inform the direction for county health professionals to take over the next several years. Harrison said she wants the public to say “what we should spend our time and money on in the next three years.”

As health director, she is attuned to the programs offered and services needed in Vance and Granville counties.

But Harrison also currently serves as president of the board of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), which has taken her to conferences and meetings across the country.

She recently testified before Congress about the national shortage of health care workers and a possible loan repayment program to improve the situation.

“It was a really nice opportunity to brag on our workforce,” Harrison said. Those health care workers who have been “working at the tip of the spear” during the COVID-19 pandemic need to have advocates like Harrison representing them on the national level.

The hearing lasted about 4 ½ hours, but she said it seemed like there was bipartisan support for the loan repayment program.

The front-line workers battling COVID-19 aren’t much different from soldiers defending the country and keeping it safe. “I appreciate that there was some discussion…to protect Americans,” she added.

As for the staff at the health department, Harrison has nothing but glowing comments to share. “It’s always an honor and a privilege to talk about (them),” she said. They are dedicated to this community and so “it’s easy for me to tell that story.” The health department locations in Henderson and Oxford have extended clinic hours to make it easier for people to come after work and school to get vaccinated.

“Now’s the time” to get vaccinated, Harrison said. “We don’t want any more variants…(and) certainly we don’t want any more deaths. A vaccine is the best way to protect everybody.”

 

 

GVPH Director Lisa Harrison In President’s Role At National Association Of Health Officials

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Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa M. Harrison is the 2021-22 president of the board of directors of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), which represents nearly 3,000 local health departments across the country.

“It is a privilege to serve as NACCHO’s board president while public health continues to work so diligently during the pandemic to prevent disease and promote health,” Harrison said in press release from the national organization. “I have been in awe of our public health workforce for a long time, but these last two years have been a constant reminder of their tireless dedication to and focus on community.   We are fortunate in the United States to have hundreds of thousands of public health workers across nearly 3,000 local health departments fighting a hard fight at the tip of the spear against COVID-19, against underfunded and outdated systems that can hinder more than help get the job accomplished, and against misinformation that spreads more quickly than fact.  I look forward to working with our partners at all levels to ensure the critical public health system receives long-term sustainable solutions.   In the meantime, you can count on your local health department for vaccines, case investigation, contact tracing, outbreak investigation, data management, education, outreach, infection control, and a host of important partnerships to leverage local community health efforts.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and our county and city health departments, we welcome and look forward to Lisa’s strong leadership of local health departments as we continue to respond to COVID and address the myriad of public health priorities facing our communities and our country at this crucial time in our history,” said NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman.

Harrison has been the director of the GVPH since 2012. Her previous roles in North Carolina public health have been in research, practice, and policy development.

Harrison has served as the performance improvement manager for the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH), where she worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a public health infrastructure grant for performance improvement. Prior to that, she participated in the North Carolina 2020: A Better State of Health initiative with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine.  In addition, she worked on the development of the Quality Improvement 101 curriculum for local public health agencies; and established a quality improvement training program for the North Carolina public health workforce.

Harrison has been a member of the public health field for more than 20 years. She has served as the director of the Office of Healthy Carolinians and Health Education at the NCDPH, led the Public Health Incubator Collaboratives Program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and directed the Southeast Public Health Leadership Institute (SEPHLI) at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health where she continues to stay connected as adjunct faculty in the Public Health Leadership Program.  In 2015, Harrison served as the North Carolina Public Health Association president where she continues to stay involved connecting public health research and practice.

About NACCHO’s Board of Directors

NACCHO is governed by a 22-member board comprising local and tribal health officials who are elected by their peers, as well as three ex-officio members representing partner organizations.

As the governing body, NACCHO’s Board of Directors establishes the association’s strategic direction and initiatives, sets the annual legislative agenda, approves official policy statements, ensures that annual goals are met, and provides financial oversight. The Board is NACCHO’s public face, and represents members in matters of policy, public health practice, and collaboration with health partners in the public and private sectors.

NACCHO’s Board is led by four executive officers. In addition to Ms. Harrison, this includes:

  • President-elect Margaret Jahn, MS, MPH, Director, Freehold Area Health Department, Freehold, NJ
  • Vice President Pramod Dwivedi, DrPH, MS, MSW, MA, Health Director, Linn County Public Health Department, Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Immediate Past President Jennifer C. Kertanis, MPH, Director of Health, Farmington Valley Health District, Canton, CT
Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk: Improving News On Covid 19

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COVID-19 vaccinations are an important layer of defense that health officials recommend to help turn back the tide of coronavirus. Along with hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing, it’s shots in arms that has Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison optimistic about the state of things in her health district.

For the past three weeks, the health district has seen fewer COVID-19 cases, as opposed to the end of August and September when cases were on the uptick just about every single day. She told Town Talk host Bill Harris Wednesday that things seem to be looking up.

“The more people that get vaccinated, the less we’ll see that curve…grow,” Harrison said. And as vaccinations continue to go up, the more people will feel comfortable getting back to more normal activities.

Harrison reiterated what other health experts have stated for some time – the majority of those in hospital and ICU’s now with COVBID-19 are unvaccinated.  “The virus will grow a new case and live for a little while,” she said, “and unvaccinated people are where this Delta variant have found its host.”

Granville and Vance counties both are below the state level for percent positive rates – Granville has a 4 percent rate and Vance is at about 6 percent; the state rate is about 9 percent, Harrison said.

She gives credit to community members who have been good about following the public health recommendations and guidelines. “I’m very proud of our communities,” Harrison said. “And we’re getting better all the time.”

While the Delta variant has gotten a lot of attention, Harrison said there are other variants that scientists are watching. “The good news is, so far, they haven’t spread like Delta. If we can stop this virus in its tracks, it will stop mutating so quickly,” she said.

Vaccines bolsters our immune systems and make our bodies stronger to resist viruses, she said. But the effectiveness  of the COVID-19 vaccines, like so many other tried-and-true vaccines, wanes over time, which is why booster shots are recommended.

There will be a Phizer booster clinic on Oct. 15 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, Harrison said. Anyone who meets the criteria to get the booster shot may get that booster between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

 

 

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Pfizer Booster Covid 19 Clinic Planned

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Granville-Vance Public Health is sponsoring a Pfizer Booster Vaccine Clinic on Friday October 15th from 10am to 3pm at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center, 200 Community College Road in Henderson. No appointment is required. Covid 19 vaccine boosters are now authorized and available for eligible who had the Pfizer vaccine initially.  You can get a booster if it has been at least 6 months since your second Pfizer shot, and one of the following is true:

You are 65 or older

You are 18 and older and:

  • You live or work in a nursing home or other long term care residential facility
  • You have a medical condition that puts you at high risk for severe illness such as obesity, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
  • You work in a high risk profession, meaning you are coming into contact with a lot of people and you don’t know their vaccination status, for example, health care workers, first responders, teachers, food processing workers, retail and restaurant workers and public transportation workers
  • You live or work in a place where many people live together, for example, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, migrant farm housing, dormitories or other group living settings in colleges or universities.

 

If you plan on getting your booster shot, you will need to bring your Covid 19 vaccination card and an insurance card, if you have it but the insurance card is not required.

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Granville Vance COVID-19 Update as of January 25, 2021

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Granville Vance District Health Director Lisa Harrison provides information routinely by email and other means, and Monday she wrote, “Since our last update on Jan. 19th, there have been 171 new cases of COVID-19 in Granville and 172 in Vance.

“Unfortunately, there have been 2 additional deaths reported this week. A 58-year-old male from Granville County passed away on Jan. 19th, and a 64-year-old male from Vance County passed away on Jan. 16th.

“The GVPH data dashboard is currently under construction. As we shift our priority to COVID-19 vaccines, we are reevaluating what data we are able to share and how we share it. We appreciate your patience during this time. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard. Relevant graphs from these dashboards are available on our website at https://gvph.org/covid-19_dashboard/.”

According to Harrison, vaccine providers needed to administer all of the initial doses of vaccine received since December 22nd by January 25th.

Hospitals and health departments receive vaccine shipments weekly.  Amounts received vary greatly, however, from provider to provider and county to county.

Harrison reported in her Monday email that she sees the frustration as vaccine supply is not matching the demand.  She said it does not come close.  She wrote, “With the imposed deadline to finish out first doses, we are all running critically low on vaccine. However, I’m confident things will catch up. We all have sufficient second dose supply to match our first doses – we want to assure everyone that second doses of vaccines will be provided to those who received their first dose. Due to the limited supply, first doses are still limited to those in Group 1 and Group 2 – health care workers and those 65 years and older.”

At least 9,000 people have been vaccinated in Vance and Granville Counties, of about 100,000 in the district.  Harrison wrote, “We have vaccinated more than 3,000 people at GVPH and Maria Parham Hospital and Granville Health Systems have each vaccinated as much.”

Also, Harrison wrote, “I have received so many notes from happy vaccinated individuals who stopped and took the time to say they had a wonderful experience in the highly efficient Granville Health System weekend clinic last weekend. I receive calls and notes regularly about our clinics in each of our health department locations and our collaboration with the Senior Center in Granville County at the Granville Expo Center. And this past weekend, after a Friday clinic in Granville’s health department location and a Saturday vaccine clinic in our Vance health department location, we partnered with Maria Parham Health, Vance County Schools, as well as local law enforcement, Vance County Emergency Management, and Vance County EMS to host a joint vaccine clinic at the Vance County High School. We are working together to ensure that we safely and efficiently administer vaccines to everyone who wants one across our rural and historically marginalized populations.”

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Vance Covid as of December 27

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

With the number of active cases of Covid-19 in Vance County approaching 1,000, the total percentage of the county’s population having tested positive for coronavirus is now just above 5.75 percent.

For the latest Vance County covid data, see the table below.

For the latest on vaccine availability, visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services online at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines

(Remember to listen to WIZS Radio 1450 AM / 100.1 FM in Henderson and vicinity and anywhere online at WIZS.com Click on Listen Live.)

Vance County Case Counts late evening December 27, 2020 courtesy Granville Vance Public Health
LOCATIONTOTAL COUNTACTIVE CASESDEATHSINPATIENTOFF ISOLATION
COMMUNITY231296826251318
PELICAN NURSE58014044
KERR LAKE NURSE611012039
SENIOR CITIZENS73415054
ALLIANCE10001
TOTAL250598267251456
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GVPH Director Discusses Spike in COVID Cases Ahead of the Holidays

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison told WIZS News that the local spike in COVID-19 cases is the highest Vance and Granville counties have seen since the pandemic began. According to the latest GVPH data, there are currently 271 reported active cases in Vance County and 202 in Granville County.

“I worry the most about Thanksgiving and families getting together and not practicing public health recommendations to stay safe and keep their family and friends safe,” said Harrison. “There are ways to still get together, but people have to be really careful: wear their masks, not eat around one table together and, if it’s nice out, be outside as much as possible. This will be hard. I expect another spike in the weeks following Thanksgiving.”

If you decide to host or attend a holiday gathering, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of spreading COVID-19. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) provides the following steps to Celebrate Thanksgiving Safely (click here).

It is strongly recommended that people not participate in traditional Black Friday shopping events that can create large crowds and increase the risk of spreading COVID-19. Here are some guidelines for Safer Black Friday Shopping.

Colleges and universities have seen cases and clusters of COVID-19 throughout the fall semester. While the holidays are a time when families and others gather together, you should be careful and take steps to prevent the spread of the virus while you’re on break. Here are some guidelines for Safer Holiday Breaks.

The following is an update for COVID-19 spread and response in Granville and Vance County as of November 16, 2020. Granville Vance Public Health numbers correlate with the NC Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS) data.

The county case numbers reported on the NC county map from the NC Department of Health and Human Services may differ from the ones reported locally as they are updated at different times and may change once residence is verified.

Granville County

2,311 positive test results for COVID-19.

Of those 2,311, 1,606 are community-spread cases located across Granville County. Of those 1,606, 1,404 have been released from isolation.

Of those 2,311, 531 cases are affiliated with the prison system in Granville County, and 505 of those 531 have been released from isolation.

Of those 2,311, 174 are associated with outbreaks at long-term care facilities, including 58 at Murdoch Development Center, 95 at Universal Health Care and 17 at Granville House.

The outbreaks at Central Regional Hospital and Brantwood are no longer active.

Of the 174 cases in long-term care facilities in Granville County, 130 have been released from isolation.

Seven individuals in Granville County are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 55 deaths in Granville County: eight in the community, one associated with Central Regional Hospital, one associated with Granville House, two associated with Murdoch Development Center, 21 associated with Universal Health Care, and 22 associated with the Bureau of Prisons Federal Correctional Complex.

Unfortunately, there has been a recent death associated with Granville House. A 74-year-old white female passed away on November 16.

Vance County

1,418 positive test results for COVID-19.

Of those 1,418, 1,263 are community-spread cases located across Vance County. Of those 1,263, 992 have been released from isolation.

Of those 1,418, 155 are associated with outbreaks at congregate living facilities, including 47 at Senior Citizens Home. Senior Citizens is currently experiencing a second outbreak.

The outbreaks at Kerr Lake Nursing Home, Alliance Rehabilitative Care and Pelican Health Nursing Home are no longer active.

Of the 155 cases in congregate living facilities in Vance County, 95 have been released from isolation.

Twelve individuals in Vance County are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 48 deaths in Vance County: 14 associated with the Pelican Health nursing home outbreak, 12 associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home, two associated with Senior Citizens Home, and 20 in the community.

Unfortunately, there has been another death in the community: a 74-year-old white male passed away on November 15.

Additional Information

The number of those who have been ‘released from isolation’ is determined by the CDC Guidance for discontinuation of isolation for persons with COVID-19.

Please visit GVPH’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard (click here) for tables and graphs that are updated daily, including a seven-day rolling average, as well as new cases by day for each county graphed.