DCDHHS COVID-19 Update #94 | Tuesday, May 11, 2024

Dare County COVID-19 Case Update

Last week there were 31 new positive cases reported in Dare County. The total COVID-19 positive case count for Dare County is 3,185, of which there are 17 active cases among residents of Dare County.

Since our last report on 5/4, there have been 33 new COVID-19 cases. Of these 33 new cases:

• 26 (79%) are symptomatic

• 28 (85%) acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual or individuals who were positive for COVID-19.

The virus continues to be spread by direct contact between family members, co-workers and close friends. We know we can control the spread of the virus by practicing the 3Ws. Please wear a face covering, wait 6 ft apart from others and wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer. In addition to the 3Ws, the most effective tool in controlling the spread of this virus is to get your COVID vaccine.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age. Information on this expanded EUA and the clinical trials involving youth ages 12 – 15 can be found on the CDC website. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet tomorrow, May 12th to discuss and vote on a recommendation for the use of this vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in persons aged 12 years and older. If this recommendation is provided then the state will authorize vaccine providers in NC to provide the Pfizer vaccine to anyone 12 and older. If you are interested in registering your child aged 12 or older for the Pfizer vaccine please visit our website at www.darenc.com/covid19. We will call and schedule an appointment once full authorizations are in place and details about vaccine dates/times and locations are finalized. Parental permission is required and a legal guardian must accompany any minor youth to the vaccine appointment.  First or second dose vaccine appointments can be scheduled with our department online at www.darenc.com/covidvaccine or by calling the COVID call center at 252-475-5008. You may also contact one of the many area pharmacies which are providing COVID vaccinations including: Walgreens, Sunshine Family Pharmacy, Island Pharmacy, Bear Drugs, and Beach Pharmacy.

Over the past 4 1/2 months we have provided 15,915 initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and have fully vaccinated 16,253 individuals. In addition to preventing serious illness and death, getting your COVID-19 vaccine prevents you from being quarantined if you are exposed to a person who tests positive for COVID, as long as you remain symptom free. While there have been 5 breakthrough cases of COVID-19 reported in Dare County, there have been no reports of serious illness or death of anyone in Dare who has been fully vaccinated.  Now is a great time to get your vaccine so you can be fully vaccinated before the busy summer season is upon us.

Key Metrics

Each week we review the 4 key metrics associated with disease investigation and surveillance. The metrics are:

• Number of Tests

• Confirmed Cases

• Positive Tests as a Percent of Total Tests

• COVID Like Illness Surveillance

This past week there were 440 COVID-19 diagnostic tests reported in Dare County. This brings the total number of tests performed since early March of last year to 38,882.  There were 31 positive cases between May 3 and May 9. The percent of positive tests to overall tests in Dare County since we started testing in March 2024 decreased slightly to 8.2%. The percent of positive tests to total tests for the past week decreased to 7.05%. Syndromic surveillance of individuals presenting with COVID like symptoms to the emergency department and urgent care centers continues to show low levels of activity. These graphs can be found on the Dare County website at www.darenc.com/covid19.

Communications and Information Sharing

Dare County DHHS has an established schedule of communication to share information regarding COVID-19. Every Tuesday, a written update and a video update which includes an overview of the previous week’s COVID-19 key metrics is issued. Additional updates will be released as needed. All released videos and written updates can be found on our website, DHHS facebook page, Dare County Twitter page, and Dare Emergency Management Twitter page. If you would like to receive these updates directly to your email, please sign up to receive our enotifications.

New positive cases are updated on the dashboard on our website and shared on the DHHS facebook page when we receive them. To find the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 cases in Dare County visit www.darenc.com/covid19. State COVID-19 data is available at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.

Contact Us

We encourage you to stay informed by visiting www.darenc.com/covid19 or by visiting the CDC or NC DHHS websites. If you have specific needs or questions you may also call the Dare County COVID-19 call center open Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 5:00 at 252-475-5008.