CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is continuing to look at ways to tackle COVID-19 within the state, from boosters to adopting new CDC guidance.
According to a news release from the department, hospitalizations of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina increased by 20% over the last three days. Hospitals reported 331 admissions in the last 24 hours, an increase of more than 40% from Monday's seven-day rolling average of 232 admissions per day.
“Now is the time to get your booster shot,” Chief Deputy Secretary for Health and Incoming NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley said in a news release provided to WCNC Charlotte. “We have plenty of vaccine in the state, and getting a booster shot, or getting vaccinated if you aren’t already, dramatically decreases the risk of severe illness and hospitalization from the Omicron variant.”
People who have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines are eligible for a booster shot after six months. According to NCDHHS, those who got a Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine initially should receive a booster after two months. According to the CDC, those who are eligible for boosters and have not received them should follow the stricter guidance for quarantine and masks.
NCDHHS updated COVID-19 guidance
NCDHHS has also adopted updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which outlines what individuals should do if they contract or are exposed to COVID-19 to help slow the spread to others:
If you have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status – you are urged to get tested and isolate yourself from others while you wait for a result. If you are not able to be tested, follow the guidance below as if you are positive.
If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are
- Not vaccinated – stay away from others for five days, get tested on day five after exposure, and if you test negative, return to normal activities while wearing a mask for five additional days.
- Vaccinated and eligible for a booster, but have not yet been boosted – stay away from others for five days, get tested on day five after exposure, and if you test negative, return to normal activities while wearing a mask for five additional days.
- Vaccinated, and have either received your booster or are not yet eligible for a booster – you do not need to stay away from others, but you should wear a mask for 10 days.
If you test positive, regardless of vaccination status, and
- Do not have symptoms – isolate yourself from others for five days, then wear a mask for five additional days when you return to normal activities.
- Have symptoms – isolate yourself from others until you are fever-free and your symptoms are improving. You should isolate for at least five days since your symptoms began. Once you stop isolating, you should wear a mask for five additional days.
Vaccines are available for everyone 5 years and older in North Carolina.
To find a vaccine or booster vaccine near you visit MySpot.nc.gov. More information on the CDC’s guidance is available online.
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