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Raleigh-The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced more than 50% of adults 18 and older in the state have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. More than 43% of the adult population is fully vaccinated against the virus.

“This is a significant milestone toward our goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and bringing summer back to North Carolina,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. “I hope you will join the more than 4 million people who have taken their shot and help put this pandemic behind us.”

To date, the state has administered more than 7.4 million vaccines. More than 74% of the population over 65 years of age is fully vaccinated, and nearly 40% of the total population of the state, regardless of age, has received at least one dose.

The department is working to ensure receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is easy and convenient for anyone 16 and older. The vaccine is widely available through a variety of providers, often with no wait time and without the need for an appointment. To find a vaccine in your area, use the Find a Vaccine Location tool or call 888-675-4567.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week shared an updated list of what fully vaccinated people can do. Activities include gathering indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, as well as moving freely outdoors without wearing a mask except in certain crowded settings and venues. Fully vaccinated people who have been around someone who has COVID-19 do not need to stay away from others or get tested, unless symptoms develop.

If North Carolina continues to work together, improve key metrics and increase vaccination rates, the state is poised to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity and mass gathering restrictions on June 1, 2021. Additionally, the state has set a goal to get two-thirds of adults vaccinated with at least one shot in order to lift the indoor mask mandate and lighten other public health recommendations. The timeline for this benchmark will be determined by how quickly North Carolinians get vaccinated.

To find a shot in your area, visit Find a Vaccine Location or call 888-675-4567. For more information and vaccination data, visit the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard.

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/ncdhhs-announces-50-nc-adults-vaccinated-against-covid-19

Burgaw – Pender County Parks and Recreation releases a County-wide survey to gather public input regarding parks and recreation facilities and programs.

The Pender County Parks and Recreation Department invites residents to share their vision for Parks and Recreation activities and facilities throughout the county by completing the survey.

“We encourage Pender County residents to complete the survey and attend the public meetings,” states Zachary White, Pender County Parks and Recreation Supervisor. “The data collected will provide the department valuable feedback for future decision making.”

Individuals can take the survey online by visiting https://form.jotform.com/211042953364047. The survey is best viewed in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox and NOT Internet Explorer. Paper copies are also available at the Pender Administration Building, the Hampstead Government Annex, the Pender County Library, the Hampstead Library Branch, at all public meetings, and by request. The survey will be available until midnight on June 30.

Public Meetings for the Master Plan will be conducted around the county over the next several weeks beginning on Tuesday, April 27. These meetings are designed to be floating meetings and staff encourages community members to stop by the meeting locations between 4:30-7:30 p.m. to share thoughts and ideas. The public meeting schedule and survey are available online at https://penderpr.recdesk.com/Community/Calendar.

For more information about the master plan process, survey or public meetings contact the Pender County Parks & Recreation Department 910-259-1330 or parksandrec@pendercountync.gov.
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As vaccinations continue and trends stabilize, NC will lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1

RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. laid out a timeline for lifting current pandemic restrictions today. With stable trends and continued vaccination success, the state expects to lift mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1. The Governor plans to issue an executive order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.

“Each shot in an arm is a step closer to putting this pandemic in the rearview mirror,” said Governor Cooper. “North Carolinians have shown up for each other throughout this entire pandemic and we need to keep up that commitment by getting our vaccines.”

North Carolina continues to focus on distributing vaccines quickly and equitably. This fast and fair approach to getting shots in arms is the best way to beat this pandemic, protect one another, boost the economy and make it possible for restrictions to be lifted.

To date, the state has administered over 6.5 million vaccines. 46.9 percent of adults are at least partially vaccinated, and 35.1 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 76 percent of people 65 and older have had at least one shot.

With vaccine now widely available across the state – often with no wait for an appointment, all North Carolinians 16 and older can plan to take their shot. The state anticipates lifting the mask mandate and easing other public health recommendations, once two-thirds of adult North Carolinians have received at least one vaccine dose and if trends remain stable.

“We are at an exciting moment. We now have enough vaccine for everyone,” said Secretary Cohen. “If you are 16 and older, it is your turn to join the more than 3.6 million North Carolinians who have already taken their first shot. It’s up to you to get us to the two-thirds goal as quickly as possible so we can live with this virus and begin to put this pandemic behind us.”

Gov. Cooper and Sec. Cohen urged North Carolinians continue to get vaccinated and exercise good judgment even when restrictions are lifted. Businesses should continue to follow voluntary health recommendations and North Carolinians should continue to take safety measures in order to boost the economy, keep children in schools and protect each other.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released statistics indicating that North Carolina is among the states with the fewest deaths and fewest job losses per capita.

State health officials are continuing to monitor the presence of COVID-19 and its more contagious variants in North Carolina, which is why it is important to continue to follow the state’s mask mandate and continue to practice safety precautions, including the Three Ws—wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart, and wash hands often.

Wave Transit Offers Free Rides on Earth Day

On Thursday, April 22, 2021 Wave Transit will offer free unlimited travel all day by fixed-route bus and Dial-A-Ride Transportation (DART) in celebration of Earth Day.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory for an ocean-side swimming area in Pender County.
The advisory was lifted because water testing shows that bacteria levels have dropped below the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s standards set for swimming and water play.
The advisory was posted at public beach access #1A located across from Catherine Avenue in Topsail Beach on April 14. Test results of water samples taken April 12 and April 13 showed bacteria levels exceeding 104 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water, the standard for recreational use coastal waters. Test results of water samples from the site now shows bacteria levels below the state and federal recreational water quality standards.
The sign advising against swimming, skiing or otherwise coming into contact with the water has been removed.
Enterococci, the bacteria group used for testing, are found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. While it is not known to cause illness, scientific studies show that enterococci may indicate the presence of other disease-causing organisms. People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the standards have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness or skin infections.
Coastal recreational waters in North Carolina are generally clean. However, it is important to continue monitoring them and to informed of any localized problems. The N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program samples 213 sites in coastal waters of the state, most of them on a weekly basis from April through October.
For more information on the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program, visit the program’s website, view a map of the testing sites, and follow the program’s Twitter feed. https://deq.nc.gov/

The original RFP referenced Tuesday, December 7^th, 2020 in error.  Please note all responses to Pender County RFP # 201124-115 for Legal Services are due no later than Monday, December 7^th at 2:00pm.

Proposals should be submitted to:

Doug Shipley, Assistant County Manager

Pender County, North Carolina

805 S. Walker Street

Burgaw, NC 28425

dshipley@pendercountync.gov

Pender County reserves the right to reject any/all bids.