Transcript
Donna Fayko, New Hanover County Health and Human Services Director
Phillip Tarte,New Hanover County Health Director
David Howard,New Hanover County Assistant Health Director
Carla Turner,New Hanover County Assistant Health Director
Dear neighbors,
It has been eight months since we reported our first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New Hanover County, and for eight months we, as acommunity, have been navigating the challenges of living through a pandemic. Although Thanksgiving and the holiday season must lookdifferent this year, we can’t help but reflect on the resilience of our community, for which we are so grateful.
Over these many months, where there has been illness, there have been frontline workers and family members providing care; wherethere has been economic strife, there have been community organizations and social services programs providing assistance; wherethere has been stress, there have been mental health professionals on the other end of the phone line providing comfort. Through eachphase of reopening, businesses and citizens have risen to the challenge, changing operations and adding protective measures. Yourhard work and perseverance has paid off, and it has saved lives.
In New Hanover County, we have done a great job of keeping the virus at bay as best we can. Our residents, our local businesses, ourfaith communities and our residential facilities have taken up the call and worked hard to protect one another. And while our countydoes have significant community spread, with around 821 active COVID-19 cases and a weekly case count trend that is going up, we arein a better position than many other areas around the state (you can see that reflected in the state’s new COVID-19 County AlertSystem).
We can and should take a moment to celebrate our small victories, but we also have to keep pushing forward. We are entering a periodof increased risk. One event with lax precautions can lead to hundreds of infections and even some deaths. So gatherings, travel,shopping and social outings need to look different this holiday season.
We need your continued help and ask that each of you be mindful of what you do and where you go in the coming months. Please limitgatherings to those in your household, and get creative with extended friends and families with virtual events. If you attend or host agathering, take advantage of our southern mild winters, and stay outside.
We also encourage you to support your local businesses by using online and curbside services. Remember that New Hanover County isa shopping destination for residents in nearby counties, some of which have much higher virus transmission. As activity increases overthe holidays, it’s critically important for businesses and customers to do all they can to protect themselves and others by following allprotective measures.
If you do travel, research the impact of the virus at your destination, and any extra measures and restrictions in place there. No matteryour plans, whether it’s a gathering or travel, get a COVID-19 test for a snapshot view of your health and risk, and continue thoseprotective measures throughout the season by wearing a face covering, waiting six feet from others, and washing your hands.
Your Public Health team, and all of the healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers across the county continue to workhard responding to COVID-19, and planning for upcoming vaccine distribution. It’s important to know that when a vaccine becomesavailable, it will be a months-long process to distribute it, starting first with the most vulnerable, so safety measures are here for a whileyet. As much as we want to go back to “normal,” we need to collectively move forward from where we are now.
We will keep working for you, and we ask that you work with us and each other. We’re in this together and we’ll get through it together.Here’s to a happy and healthy holiday season in New Hanover County.
Sincerely,
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