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-Information courtesy Perry Memorial Library
Perry Memorial Library will offer curbside pickup only effective November 24, 2020, until further notice. Curbside pick up of holds is available Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Visit library.perrylibrary.org or call (252) 438-3316 to place holds. Books can be returned at the outside book drop.
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-Press Release, Granville Vance Public Health
UPDATE: Granville Vance Public Health is really proud of our communities in their collective efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We know so many people and agencies are working hard. A better economy depends on keeping everyone safe and healthy. We are grateful for our continued partnerships with individual citizens, businesses, and organizations that make our communities better. Thank you!
We must keep practicing those 3 W’s – washing our hands, waiting six feet apart, and wearing a mask – and as tired as we all are of this virus, it’s time to double down on these behaviors, not let up. In this “land of the free and home of the brave,” we want EVERYONE to be around in 2021 to celebrate holidays together and to pursue life, liberty and happiness individually.
Public health is not about restricting freedoms, it’s about preserving life and quality of life so we can enjoy more of those freedoms in the future. THANK YOU for being with us in this community effort.
Although the number of active cases in our counties had been trending downward over the past few months, our data have quickly begun trending in the wrong direction again. Unfortunately, we have set numerous records this week for the number of new cases and deaths in North Carolina and the United States.
As of November 23, we have 255 active cases of COVID-19 in Granville County and have recorded 56 deaths over the course of the pandemic response. In Vance County, we have 414 active COVID-19 cases and 54 deaths.
Community spread of COVID-19 in both Granville and Vance Counties is increasing. If you are looking at the state of North Carolina’s data dashboard and notice the new COVID-19 County Alert System, you will see that the alerts for Granville and Vance Counties changed color today. Granville turned from yellow to orange on the map and Vance turned from orange to red.
North Carolina has established the COVID-19 County Alert System to give individuals, businesses, community organizations, and public officials another tool to understand how their county is faring and to make decisions about actions to slow the spread of the virus. The COVID19 County Alert System uses metrics informed by the White House Coronavirus Task Force and North Carolina’s key metrics to categorize counties into three tiers:
1. Yellow: Significant Community Spread
2. Orange: Substantial Community Spread
3. Red: Critical Community Spread
Because no one metric provides a complete picture, the COVID-19 County Alert System uses a combination of three metrics: case rate, the percent of tests that are positive, and hospital impact within the county.” More about the alert system online here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/county-alert-system.
As we move into the holiday season, we have the power to prevent more spread and more death. In considering how you’d like to celebrate with family, remember that any scenario in which people gather poses a risk for COVID-19 transmissions.
Getting together with others will always pose some risk. Therefore, we encourage you to consider hosting virtual events. Zoom has announced it will be lifting the 40-minute limit from midnight ET on Nov. 26 through 6 a.m. ET on Nov. 27 to enable easier virtual connections with loved ones.
If you do choose to gather in-person, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has provided the following suggestions for reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19:
• Consider getting tested for COVID-19 3 to 4 days prior to travel or attending family gatherings.
• Do not host or attend a gathering if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, have been told by the local health department to quarantine or isolate, or if you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
• Consider asking all guests to avoid contact with people outside of their households for 14 days before the gathering.
• Practice the 3 Ws during the gathering: Wear a face covering, Wait six feet apart from others, and Wash your hands regularly.
• Arrange space so people from different households can stay distant (at least 6 feet apart) and plan activities where social distancing can be maintained. If you take your mask off to eat or drink, make sure you are 6 feet from others when you do so.
• Outdoor activities are preferred over indoor because it is easier to stay apart and there is more wind and air to help reduce the spread of the virus. However, even in outdoor settings, the more people that interact, the greater the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
• Gatherings should not exceed current mass gathering limits in North Carolina which are 10 people indoors and 50 people outdoors.
• Even with smaller gatherings, it is still very possible for the virus to spread, so when deciding how many people to invite, consider the amount of space you have and the ability to maintain social distancing.
• As difficult as it may be, try to limit physical contact and substitute waves and air kisses for handshakes and hugs.
• Limit the number of people handling or serving food. If serving food, have one person serve all food so that multiple people are not handling serving utensils. Encourage guests to bring their own food and drinks and use disposable utensils and dishes.
• Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, such as door handles, sink handles, and bathroom surfaces.
• People at high risk of complications for COVID-19 (e.g., people over 65 years of age or with underlying chronic conditions) should avoid social gatherings. Consider having a virtual option for individuals that are at higher risk to join safely from their homes. If they do attend, ensure the 3Ws are strictly practiced.
• Anyone who develops COVID-19 within 48 hours after attending a gathering should notify other attendees as soon as possible regarding the potential exposure.
We cannot stress enough that just because we are tired of the virus and done with it, it is far from being done with us. Coronavirus can easily transfer through microscopic respiratory droplets, and it’s hard to always know the source and avoid it, especially when we’re around others or inside. Another tricky thing about this virus is that some people who do not feel bad and do not have symptoms yet can be spreading Coronavirus – this makes the mask wearing and distancing so very important.
Please remember – every action you take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in a given setting, whether at the grocery store, in your workplace, or at a family gathering, adds up to make it harder for the virus to transmit from person to person. And, the more we can reduce the spread, the more lives we can save. We want to gather again for the holidays next year, so let’s do all we can to preserve our health this year.
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-Press Release, Office of Governor Roy Cooper
Governor Roy Cooper today issued additional COVID-19 safety measures to tighten mask requirements and enforcement as cases continue to rise rapidly in North Carolina and across the country. Executive Order No. 180 goes into effect on Wednesday, November 25 and runs through Friday, December 11.
“I have a stark warning for North Carolinians today: We are in danger,” Governor Cooper said. “This is a pivotal moment in our fight against the coronavirus. Our actions now will determine the fate of many.”
In addition to extending Phase 3 capacity limits and safety requirements, the Order tightens the existing statewide mask requirement – making it clear that everyone needs to wear a mask whenever they are with someone who is not from the same household. The Order also adds the mask requirement to several additional settings including any public indoor space even when maintaining 6 feet of distance; gyms even when exercising; all schools public and private; and all public or private transportation when traveling with people outside of the household.
The Order also requires large retail businesses with more than 15,000 square feet to have an employee stationed near entrances ensuring mask-wearing and implementing occupancy limits for patrons who enter.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, updated North Carolina’s COVID-19 County Alert System map due to the rapid rise in cases and hospitalization over the past week. Since introducing the system last week, ten more counties (including Vance) have moved into the red category indicating critical community spread. There are now 20 red counties and 42 orange counties. Read the update to see where each county stands and how the system was designed.
WIZS Note: Since last week, Vance County’s COVID Alert Level has been elevated from orange or “substantial” spread to red or “critical” spread. As of today’s update, Vance County is showing a 14-day case rate per 100,000 of 577.1, a 14-day percent positive rate of 10.4% and a moderate hospital impact.
“The coming weeks will be a true test of our resolve to do what it takes to keep people from getting sick, to save lives, and to make sure that if you need hospital care whether it’s for a heart attack or a car accident or COVID-19, you can get it,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D.
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan spoke at today’s press conference to discuss what the city of Greensboro is doing to step up enforcement of existing, strong statewide safety rules. State officials have encouraged local governments to take action to require compliance and help lower COVID-19 numbers.
Dr. Cohen also provided an update on North Carolina’s data and trends.
Trajectory in COVID-Like Illness (CLI) Surveillance Over 14 Days
Trajectory of Confirmed Cases Over 14 Days
Trajectory in Percent of Tests Returning Positive Over 14 Days
Trajectory in Hospitalizations Over 14 Days
In addition to these metrics, the state continues building capacity to adequately respond to an increase in virus spread in testing, tracing and prevention.
Testing
Tracing Capability
Personal Protective Equipment
Read Executive Order 180.
Read a Frequently Asked Questions document about the Order.
Read the slides from today’s briefing.
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-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce
The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce board of directors has nominated the following individuals to serve a three-year term on the Chamber’s 18 member board (plus 7 ex-officio members). The term will begin January 1, 2021, and end December 31, 2023.
Dr. Levy Brown – Vance-Granville Community College (re-appointed to a second term)
Tanya Evans – Duke Energy (re-appointed to a second term)
Angie Jacobs – Country Snacks Manufacturing (re-appointed to a second term)
Dr. Abidan Shah – Clearview Baptist Church (new appointment to a three-year term)
Margier White – State Farm Insurance (new appointment to a three-year term)
Nancy Wykle – The Daily Dispatch (re-appointed to a second term)
By-Laws
Article IV: Board of Directors
Section 1: Composition of Board. The Board of Directors shall be composed of eighteen (18) members (not including ex-officio members), Six (6) of whom shall be elected each year to serve for three (3) years, or until their successors are elected and have qualified.
The following persons shall be ex-officio member of the Board of Directors: The Chair of the Vance County Board of County Commissioners or a member of the Board appointed by the Chair; the Mayor of the City of Henderson or a member of the Henderson City Council appointed by the Mayor; the Director of the Economic Development Commission; the Director of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission; the Superintendent of the Vance County Public School System; the President of Vance-Granville Community College; and the CEO of Maria Parham Health.
Section 3: Nominations and Candidates. The election of new directors shall be completed before the last day of December each year. A Nominating Committee of not less than five (5) members shall be appointed by the Chair in October each year at least thirty (30) days prior to the election of new members of the Board of Directors. The duty of this Nominating Committee shall be to nominate from the members of the Chamber, or the legal representatives of such member or members, a slate of six (6) candidates to fill the annual three-year term vacancies.
The Nominating Committee shall endeavor to assure a reasonable balance of representatives on the Board of Directors from the membership of the Chamber. A member of the Nominating Committee must interview each of the candidates selected prior to placing their name on the ballot and secure their pledge to serve faithfully if elected as director. Said Committee shall file a list of nominees recommended with the President not later than twenty (20) days before the election. No board member who has served two consecutive three (3) year terms is eligible for election for a third term. A period of one (1) year must lapse before eligibility is restored.
Section 4: Notice of Nominations. The President shall mail to all members of the Chamber of Commerce in good standing a list of the nominees recommended by the Nominating Committee.
Section 5: Nominations from Membership. The membership of the Chamber shall have the opportunity of placing additional names in nomination by presenting at the Chamber office a petition of nominations signed by at least ten (10) members of the Chamber. Such petitions must be filed within ten (10) days of the mailing of the Nominating Committee’s report.
Section 6: Election. If nominations are received from the membership within the ten (10) day period, a ballot bearing names of all nominees will be issued to the membership for vote. The ballots must be returned to the Chamber of Commerce office within fifteen (15) days of the mailing of said ballots. The number of nominees with the highest votes equal to the number of directors needed shall be declared elected. Directors need not be elected by a majority vote. Each member shall have only one vote. If no additional nominations are forthcoming from the membership within ten (10) days of the date which the original slate is mailed, the slate proposed by the Nominating Committee will be considered elected by acclamation.
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center and its director, Sheri Jones, recently received the 2020 Innovation Award for Programs/Seminars from the North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN). The award specifically recognized VGCC for creating and offering an eight-part, online webinar series entitled “Doing Business Remotely – Tools for the New Normal,” to help local small businesses respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Small Business Center collaborated with the Warren County Economic Development Commission and a local small business, Tabletop Media Group, LLC, on the series, which educated small businesses and individuals on technological tools that were mostly new to them, empowering them to communicate effectively with customers as well as employees.
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center and its director, Sheri Jones, recently received the 2020 Innovation Award for Programs/Seminars from the North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN). (Photo courtesy VGCC)
“The Small Business Center of Vance-Granville Community College is fortunate to have wonderful community partners in our four-county Chambers of Commerce, economic development offices, downtown development organizations and libraries,” Jones said. “They relay community training needs that we then try to address, and they get the word out about our programs and counseling opportunities.”
In this case, Jones recalled, the community need was first brought up by Warren County EDC Director Stacy Woodhouse. “Stacy called and asked if Kristen Baughman Taber [founder of Tabletop Media Group and a Warren County resident] and I could meet with him to talk about what we could do to help small businesses in the early days of the pandemic shutdown,” Jones said. “This webinar series was born from that conversation.”
The partners moved quickly to help businesses in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties adjust to a rapidly changing situation. The state’s stay-at-home order went into effect on March 30, and the webinar series began on April 7.
Baughman Taber took the lead on creating content and then teaching the interactive class. The eight parts of the series included: Zoom Video Communications; Google Suite; Basecamp & Other Project Management Systems; Dropbox & Other Storage and File-sharing Tools; Scheduling Tools; Mailchimp, Constant Contact & Other Contact Management Tools; Slack & Other Collaboration Tools; and Virtual Team Building.
“Teaching the ‘Doing Business Remotely’ series brought me so much joy as an instructor during such an uncertain time in our world,” Baughman Taber said. “I was able to help so many small business owners learn how to use virtual tools to make them more effective in a world that had suddenly gone almost 100% online due to COVID-19. I believe these skills – like how to use Zoom for video conferencing, Google Drive for organizing and collaborating on documents and files, and Basecamp for project management, to name a few – will be helpful well into the future for these small business owners who attended.”
“I am appreciative of Sheri Jones and VGCC for partnering with Warren County EDC to make this timely series possible,” said EDC Director Stacy Woodhouse. “’Doing Business Remotely’ provided critical information in the midst of so much uncertainty and gave businesses the tools to move forward. We were able to utilize Warren County’s own Kristen Baughman of Tabletop Media as the instructor which gave attendees another valuable resource to follow up with post-class.”
“We congratulate and applaud Sheri for this award and for all her hard work to support the small businesses in our service area,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of VGCC. “This year, our Small Business Center and other college departments have partnered with the community to solve practical problems and meet the unique demands of the pandemic. We will continue to be here as a resource for our communities to promote economic recovery.”
The VGCC Small Business Center, part of a network of centers found at all 58 North Carolina Community Colleges, was created to provide the small businesses of the community with a focal point for training, education, counseling and referral. Jones has served as director since 2019.
For more information about Small Business Center seminars and services, contact Sheri Jones at joness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.
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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health
According to information provided by Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH), six recent COVID-19 related deaths associated with the current outbreak at Senior Citizens Home in Henderson, NC have been reported. A 90-year-old female, an 86-year-old female and an 88-year-old male passed away on November 17, 2020. A 97-year-old female, a 99-year-old female and an 80-year-old female passed away on November 18, 2020.
Additionally, GVPH provided the following update for COVID-19 spread and response in Granville and Vance County as of November 19, 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.
Vance County
Total Cases: 1,494
Active Cases: 335
Total Cases in Community: 1,329
Active Cases: 299
Cases Off-Isolation: 1,010
Total Cases at Long-Term Care Facilities: 165
Active Cases: 36
Cases Off-Isolation: 95
There is currently an outbreak at Senior Citizens Home.
Total Hospitalized with COVID-19: 12
Total Deaths: 54
Community: 20
Pelican Nursing Home: 14
Kerr Lake Nursing Home: 12
Senior Citizens Home: 8
Granville County
Total Cases: 2,361
Active Cases: 249
Total Cases in Community: 1,648
Active Cases: 218
Cases Off-Isolation: 1,422
Total Cases at Federal Prison: 531
Active Cases: 4
Cases Off-Isolation: 505
Total Cases at Long-Term Care Facilities: 182
Active Cases: 27
Cases Off-Isolation: 130
There are currently outbreaks at Central Regional Hospital, Murdoch Development Center and Granville House.
Total Hospitalized with COVID-19: 4
Total Deaths: 55
Community: 8
Central Regional: 1
Granville House: 1
Murdoch Development Center: 2
Universal Health Care: 21
Federal Prison: 22
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.
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-Press Release, The Salvation Army of Henderson
Classic Toyota of Henderson, part of the Mills Automotive Group, is partnering with The Salvation Army to provide food boxes for families in need during the Mills Automotive Group Day of Service drive-thru food giveaway.
Dealership employees will work alongside The Salvation Army and city officials to load food boxes into cars and provide a gift card for every household. 250 food boxes have been sponsored by Mills Automotive Group for the food giveaway. The Salvation Army is working with community social service providers to identify and invite families in need.
WHEN: Wednesday, November 25, 2020 ~ 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
WHERE: Classic Toyota of Henderson, 205 Toyota Lane Henderson, NC 27537
For more information, please contact The Salvation Army of Henderson at (252) 438-7107 or email derrick.smith@uss.salvationarmy.org.
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.
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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.
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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.
