‘Corners were not cut.’ Cohen shares COVID-19 vaccine timeline for NC as cases spike

Dr. Mandy Cohen said Thursday that COVID-19 vaccines could arrive as soon as mid-December for high-priority health care workers, but it will take several months to build up enough supply for the rest of the population.

Cohen, secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, said North Carolina will likely receive the vaccine developed by Pfizer once it receives approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but not all hospitals will receive the initial 85,000 samples. Still, vaccines could arrive in North Carolina as soon as Dec. 15.

Cohen devoted a Thursday press conference to further outlining the state’s vaccine distribution plan and offering assurances about the science used to develop them. She stressed that the vaccines now being tested were developed by “career scientists” rather than political appointees, and that significant percentages of non-white patients took part in clinical trials.

“Corners were not cut,” Cohen said.

The biggest hospitals in the state will receive vaccines first and can determine who among their staff should get it first. Priorities are healthcare workers who care for COVID-19 patients, staff who clean up around COVID-19 patients, and staff in emergency rooms.

The second round of vaccines will go those in longterm care facilities and will be managed by the federal government, but come from the state’s allotment of vaccines. The number of vaccines sent to each state is determined by the federal government and based on population size, Cohen said.

Cohen said an unknown number of vaccines should arrive every week.

By early 2021, health officials hope that health departments and community health centers will be able to start vaccinating adults with two or more high risk conditions. Children are not slated to get vaccinations yet, as more clinical trials are needed.

‘Devastating milestone’

The update from the state Department of Health and Human Services comes as North Carolina shattered its record for reported COVID-19 cases, adding 5,637 new cases in a day.

“Today we hit another devastating milestone,” Cohen said. “This is alarming. ... I am very worried.”

The old record of 4,514 was just over a week old, and state health officials have long warned of a surge after Thanksgiving. Cohen said that everyone who went to a Thanksgiving gathering should go get tested.

North Carolina continues to reach new heights for hospitalized patients, now at 2,101 statewide. That number has now broken the state record six days in a row.

Cohen stressed that contact tracing, once a key tool for preventing the virus, is ineffective with it spreading so quickly.

“You need to take precautions as if everyone around you has it,” she said. She urged people to follow what they know works: social distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands.

Cohen said that with a record number of cases, they still want to recruit contact tracers, but “really need to prioritize the work itself.”

Business violations

She said North Carolina has community spread of the virus everywhere in the state, and that it is important to take personal responsibility for slowing the spread.

As cases increase, the Triangle is seeing businesses cited for violating Gov. Roy Cooper’s mandates on crowd sizes and masks.

Earlier this week, The Rose Bar on East Millbrook Road was cited for exceeding crowd limits after three people were shot there during a live dance event Sunday night.

On Wednesday, Wendell Police cited the Wendell General Store for posting a sign encouraging customers not to wear masks inside.

Meanwhile, the Franklin County town of Youngsville plans to hold its Christmas parade Saturday, expecting up to 300 people, despite warnings from the health department about the chances for widespread COVID-19 infection.

Phase 3 is set to expire at the end of next week on Dec. 11. Cooper has said that tighter restrictions are still on the table.

Cohen said Thursday that she doesn’t think the state needs to do more as long as people follow guidelines and executive orders currently in place.

“It may be possible that we need to go backwards,” she said.

Cohen said officials knew there would be more risk of spread heading into the holiday season, when people gather more.

“And unfortunately we are seeing that play out in our numbers,” she said.

This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 2:24 PM with the headline "‘Corners were not cut.’ Cohen shares COVID-19 vaccine timeline for NC as cases spike."