The following is from the Hyde County Health Department
The news keeps us flooded with COVID-19 information, but this press release is specific to Hyde County with information as of Dec. 20.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Hyde County has had a total of 879 cases, 13 deaths, 13 active cases, 31 cases that were post-vaccination and 853 recoveries. Though our recovery rate is high, there should be no deaths and Luana Gibbs, Hyde County health director, continues to extend heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones.
“As we embark upon another holiday season of love and family, please let me stress the importance of remaining as safe as possible against the COVID virus,” Gibbs said.
Here are the recommendations:
- Get vaccinated
- Boost your vaccinations as soon as eligible
- Test if you are going to be indoors with people whom you do not live, and
- Mask when indoors in public, even if you are vaccinated.
As North Carolina experiences an uptick in COVID-19 cases and braces for the impact of the highly contagious Omicron variant, Governor Roy Cooper and other state officials, during a Dec. 20 press briefing, urged residents to get booster shots and to get vaccinated if they have not done so until now.
“If you are eligible for a booster, get one right away,” Cooper said. He said the dominant variant in the state remains the Delta variant, but added that the Omicron variant is only weeks and maybe days away from taking hold in North Carolina.
People should know and understand by now that COVID-19 is with us to stay, Gibbs noted. “We must think of COVID-19 as we think of influenza, a virus that is potentially lethal though not always and can be prevented or at least severely lessened by vaccination,” she said. “Please use common sense, and take care of yourselves and others.”
For testing or vaccination, call the Hyde County Health Department at 252-926-4467.
Both the Hyde County Health Department and the Ocracoke Health Center are open Monday through Friday but both will be closed Dec. 23 to 27 in observance of Christmas.
The Ocracoke Health Center notes that booster shots have been approved for 16- and 17-year-olds if their second dose of the vaccine was at least six months ago.
“We encourage all children to be vaccinated,” the health center said in a Facebook post. Pfizer vaccine for ages 5 and up will also be available.
Appointments for all shots are available by calling 252-928-1511. The next Pfizer clinic for ages 5+ will be Jan. 6 and 7.
