NC to open COVID vaccines to teachers on Feb 24. Here’s what that means for Charlotte
North Carolina will soon expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news conference Wednesday.
The state plans to open coronavirus shot appointments to certain people in Group 3, starting on Feb 24.
The state will first open vaccinations to educators and school personnel on Feb. 24, and to other Group 3 essential workers starting on March 10.
“Essential workers are just that – essential,” Cooper said Wednesday. “They’ve worked throughout this pandemic. We know educators can continue to work safely before being vaccinated as long as schools follow state health guidance. Students can be back in schools safely now. That’s what I want them to do.”
The announcement comes just one day after Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders saying they will stick with the planto bring some students back to the classroom beginning Monday.
Novant Health has already begun working with CMS to get teachers already eligible for shots vaccinated — meaning any teachers age 65 and up.
Here’s what we know about the expanding vaccine access, and how that will impact folks in the Charlotte region.
Who else is included in Group 3?
The state will begin vaccinations with educators, like child care staff, K-12 teachers and support staff. That is expected to include about 240,000 people across the state, Cooper said Wednesday.
CMS has about 20,000 teachers and staff who will be eligible under the new guidelines, Mecklenburg Medical Director Dr. Meg Sullivan said. And Mecklenburg is also working with county-area schools outside of CMS, Sullivan said.
The county estimates there are another 1,500 child care workers in Mecklenburg, Sullivan said.
Other frontline essential workers — who will be able to get vaccinations starting March 10 includes anyone who must be in-person at their place of employment, and works in one of these sectors:
▪ Critical manufacturing (like workers making medical supplies, or products needed for food and agricultural supply chains)
▪ Essential goods (like people who work in stores that sell groceries and medicine)
▪ Food and agriculture (like meat packing, farm and restaurant workers)
▪ Government and community services (like U.S. Postal Service workers or other shipping workers, elected officials, clergy and homeless shelter staff)
▪ Health care and public health (including social workers)
▪ Public safety (like firefighters and EMS, law enforcement and corrections workers)
▪ Transportation (like public transit workers, and transportation maintenance and repair technicians)
Anyone can use N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ online tool to find out more about when they’re eligible for the vaccine.
What providers are offering vaccines in Mecklenburg?
Mecklenburg County Public Health offers vaccines to eligible people through a clinic at Bojangles Coliseum, and at smaller community vaccination events by appointment.
The county is opening new appointments for the week of Feb. 22 and the first two weeks of March. Appointments will go live on Friday
And now, newly eligible people — educators, K-12 school staff and child care workers — can begin signing up for those appointments on Friday, as long as their appointment date falls on or after Feb. 24, Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris said. Those people can make an appointment online, or call 980-314-9400 Option 3.
“This is great news,” Harris said of Cooper’s announcement. “But it’s also very challenging for us who are providing vaccines, because the amount of vaccines available to us is still very limited.”
Roughly 79,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Mecklenburg County so far, Harris said — but that’s only 7% of the county’s population.
Charlotte’s hospital systems, Atrium Health and Novant Health, are also offering COVID-19 vaccines by appointment.
Atrium Health spokesman Dan Fogleman said the hospital system is “thrilled” with Cooper’s announcement to expand vaccine access.
“We stand ready to quickly and efficiently vaccinate eligible community members, as shown by the 36,000 vaccinated at our recent mass vaccination events alone,” Fogleman said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the state to manage vaccine supplies and how best to prioritize getting all those who are eligible to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, including those in underserved communities.”
Providers will need more vaccines in order to expand access to shots, Novant said in a statement.
“Novant Health is eager to vaccinate all community members, as quickly as possible,” Novant spokeswoman Megan Rivers said “We welcome the expansion of vaccination groups, but understand it must come with expanded supply.”
And beginning Friday, Walgreens will begin distributing vaccines at 300 locations across the state. The company has not released a list of locations where vaccines will be available.
Who’s next?
After Group 3, the state will begin offering vaccine appointments to anyone in Group 4 — that includes adults who are at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 and increased risk of severe illness.
That means anyone age 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions, anyone incarcerated or living in close group living settings, and other essential workers who haven’t yet gotten the vaccine will be able to get appointments for COVID-19 shots.
The state still hasn’t announced a schedule for opening appointments to those in Group 4.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 2:06 PM.
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