Gov. Cooper And Dr. Cohen Visit County Vaccination Clinic

Press release from Cumberland County:

Mar 05, 2021

Governor Roy Cooper and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen visited the Cumberland County COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic today as individuals in Groups 1, 2 and 3 received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The health department’s clinic is located at the Crown Expo Center (1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville NC).

The health department along with other community partners have given the first dose of the vaccine to more than 39,000 residents since receiving vaccine allocations from the State.

“Local health departments around North Carolina have been on the frontlines of fighting against this pandemic and now are leading the vaccination efforts,” said Cumberland County Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “We give a warm socially-distanced welcome to Governor Cooper and Dr. Cohen to our vaccination clinic today. We are proud to show them an example of the heroic efforts of public health staff and our critical team of partners that are helping us make our community safer — one shot at a time.”

During this visit Gov. Cooper and Dr. Cohen were able to see the County’s clinic in action.

“We are beginning to turn the corner,” Cooper said. “Our numbers and declining and stabilizing and that is good news. But we are not yet out of the woods. We have variants that are here in North Carolina.”

Cooper said we will continue to see a mask mandate in the state, and he hopes community leaders will continue to promote the importance of getting vaccinations to their citizens.

Dr. Cohen thanked the public health department for their efforts over the last year in fighting the pandemic.

“I particularly want thank Dr. (Jennifer) Green and the rest of the public health department and all of their staff for doing such a terrific job in getting the vaccine in arms, not just quickly, but also equitably,” Cohen said.

The vaccination clinic is staffed with a variety of Cumberland County professionals and volunteers that provide critical support to ensure a safe and efficient process.

“I want to thank our partners in Emergency Management who have also done such a terrific job. The National Guard is here, the (Civil) Air Patrol is here. It is a huge team effort,” Cohen said.

After touring the clinic operations, Gov. Cooper and Dr. Cohen joined Charles Evans, Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and President of the North Carolina Association of Black County Officials, and Bladen County Commissioner and Vice President of the NCABCO Michael Cogdell for a media briefing.

“To overcome this enemy, we must get those needles in as many arms as possible,” Chairman Evans said. “We must encourage everyone to get vaccinated especially those at higher risk for infection, hospitalization and death.”

Cohen said that in the last four weeks, 20 percent of vaccinations have gone to Black North Carolinians.

In Cumberland County, almost 34 percent of first doses have been administered to Blacks, who make up 39 percent of the county’s population.

County Clinics

Cumberland County continues to offer free drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinics for those in Groups 1, 2 and 3. An online application form now allows individuals to choose their own appointment date and time for the first dose of the vaccine.

Appointments are available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A standby lane (first-come, first served in eligible groups) opens on Fridays, from 3 to 5 p.m., or as supplies last.

Visit co.cumberland.nc.us/covid19vaccine to make an appointment. Call (910) 678-7657 during normal business hours if you need assistance with the form or have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Cumberland Begins to Trend in a Positive Direction
The Cumberland County Department of Public Health reports 280 Cumberland County residents died from the coronavirus. There have been 24,411 cases reported since the onset of the pandemic.

Cumberland County is trending in the right direction of the NC County Alert System, moving from Red to Orange with substantial community spread. The county’s case positivity rate dropped to 7.9%. The target rate recommended by the World Health Organization is 5%.

Cumberland County COVID-19 UPDATE 3/5/2021

Cumberland County COVID-19 UPDATE 3/5/2021

CASES

# of cases

24,411

% of positive cases

7.9%

# of deaths

280

County Alert Tier—Last updated March 4

Orange—Substantial Spread (decrease since last report)

Vaccination Data

Eligible Groups 1, 2 and 3

Doses administered to Cumberland County residents

1st dose administered through March 4

39,383 NOTE: represents different providers receiving vaccines through NCDHHS

2nd dose administered through March 4

25,418

1st dose percent of population vaccinated

11.74%

2nd dose percent of population vaccinated

7.58%

CLINIC SCHEDULE

Cumberland County Health Department Vaccination Clinics for Week of March 9-12

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Crown Expo Center 1960 Coliseum Drive, Fayetteville

Tuesday, March 9

2nd Dose. By Appointment Only

Wednesday, March 10

1st and 2nd Doses. By Appointment Only

Friday, March 12

1st Dose. Appointments 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Standby Lane (first-come, first served) from 3 to 5 p.m. for Groups 1, 2 and 3

This press release was produced by Cumberland County. The views expressed are the author's own.