Up & Coming Weekly

August 10, 2021

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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12 UCW AUGUST 11-17, 2021 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Cape Fear Valley Health System has made CO- VID-19 vaccination mandatory for its 7,000 employ- ees, physicians, students, vendors and volunteers. e deadline for compliance is Oct. 1. "With the rising trend in positive COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, vaccinations remain our best defense against the pandemic," said Cape Fear Valley Health CEO Michael Nagowski. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rapidly increasing locally. Only 50-55% of Cape Fear Valley's employees have been vaccinated to date, said health system spokesperson Chaka Jordan. Cumberland County's COVID-19 test positivity rate is 13.7%. is rate has increased significantly in the last two weeks. e CEO and other members of the health system's leadership held town hall events with employees to answer questions before making this decision. Employees with medical or religious concerns are eligible for exemptions. Nagowski said employees will not be required to use vacation time to get their vaccines. e Fape Fear Valley Health System includes the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center, Behavioral Health Care, Bladen County Hos- pital, Hoke Hospital, Health Pavilion North, Health Pavilion Hoke and Harnett Health. On July 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised mask guidance. In areas with substantial and high transmission, like Cumberland County, the CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear masks in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the Delta variant and protect others. City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County government employees and people visiting public buildings are again required to wear masks. City Manager Doug Hewett distributed a memo via email to city employees announcing the change. Citizens are encouraged to schedule appointments before entering City Hall. Residents can access many city services 24/7 at fayettevillenc.gov. County Manager Amy Cannon echoed Hewett's concerns. "We are monitoring our county metrics and the recommendations from the CDC, State health officials and our Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green regarding any further protective mea- sures," Cannon said. e Fayetteville Area System of Transit has insti- tuted requirements for bus riders. FAST employees and passengers must wear face masks, not face shields or bandanas. Passenger capacity has been re- duced from 35 to 22 on buses. Bus seats are marked for social distancing. Passengers should enter and exit buses from the rear doors. Daily disinfecting and cleaning of FAST facilities and buses are scheduled. Vaccination clinics are available countywide. Walk-ins are welcome at Cape Fear Valley vaccine clinics during the month of August until clinic capac- ity is reached, but appointments are preferred. Visit www.capefearvalley.com/covid19. Free vaccines are also available at the Cumberland County Department of Public Health located at 1235 Ramsey St., weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. No appoint- ments are needed. Learn more at cumberlandcoun- tync.gov/covid19. NEWS COVER Cape Fear Valley Health announces employee vaccination requirement by JEFF THOMPSON Cumberland County leaders conducted a press conference Aug. 6 with health officials to encour- age residents to get a COVID-19 vaccination and to continue to mask-up due to the Delta variant and the 837 new COVID-19 cases in the county over the previous seven days. "e best protection against this virus is the vac- cine and I encourage everyone to get vaccinated," said Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Evans. Dr. Jennifer Green, Cumberland County Public Health Director, said the COVID-19 Delta variant is much more contagious than the original strand. She added that the COVID-19 positive infection rate is currently above 15% and hospitalizations are increasing. e percent positive needs to be closer to 5% for everyone's safety according to the World Health Organization. "I know the frustration among the vaccinated is growing with the unvaccinated, I ask you take that frustration and turn it into conversation," Green said. "I know that conversations with your friends and family will make a difference." At the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in January, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center had approximately 130 people admitted to the hospital, according to Mike Nagowski, Chief Executive Officer for Cape Fear Valley Health System. As vaccines started to be administered, that number had a downward trend to 14 people who were COVID positive. "In the last six weeks, as the Delta variant has taken hold … we now have 89 people who are COVID positive in our hospital. Almost every single person in the hospital is unvaccinated," said Nagowski, who described the Delta variant as "like the original COVID on steroids." e medical center is seeing younger patients. "e people dying today are far different than those who were dying in the beginning of the pandemic," Nagowski said. Cumberland County Schools will return on Aug. 23 for in-person learning for traditional calendar schools. According to Cumberland County Schools Director of Health Services Shir- ley Bolden, the top priority for the school year is to operate in-person learning all year long as safely as possible. "In keeping with the recommendation of the local, state and national health officials, Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connolly plans to recommend to the Board of Education universal masking for all stu- dents and staff at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. is would be for all pre-K through 12th-grade students and staff, regardless of their vac- cination status," Bolden said. is action is intended to reduce the number of students needing to quarantine in the event of an exposure. "We believe that universal masking can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the school setting," she said. In addition to universal masking, the goal is to maintain social distancing of 3 feet between students and 6 feet between staff. CCS is also encouraging those who are not vaccinated to do so now to slow the spread of the virus. "anks to federal funding, COVID-19 testing will also be available and will provide one more layer of protection to help keep students and staff safe," Bolden said. Clinics will be held at Cumberland County Public Library locations on Saturdays in August from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Appointments are not needed. Aug. 14 at Hope Mills Library Aug. 21 at East Regional Library Aug. 28 at Spring Lake Regional Library e Department of Public Health, 1235 Ramsey St., offers the vaccine weekdays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pfizer and J&J vaccinations are available by appoint- ment or walk-ins will be accepted. View the COVID-19 vaccination calendar and make an appointment at cumberlandcountync.gov/ covid19. Cumberland County leaders encourage COVID vaccinations, masks a STAFF REPORT JEFF THOMPSON, Reporter. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Chairman Charles Evans speaks at a press conference Aug. 6. (Photo courtesy Cumberland County)

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