►
From YouTube: COVID-19 Community Update (April 5, 2022)
Description
learn more about buncombeready.org
A
A
As
of
yesterday,
there
have
been
52,
259
total
confirmed
cases
of
covet
19
in
buncombe
county
since
the
pandemic
started.
Our
case
rate
has
remained
low
and
stable
for
about
three
weeks.
You
can
see
that
very
pronounced
peak
there
of
omicron
and
then
a
very
precipitous
decline,
and
now
we
are
at
very
low
levels
and
for
the
last
three
weeks
have
been
at
a
very
low
level
and
plateauing.
It
appears
at
a
very
low
level.
A
A
The
current
community
level
status
for
buncombe
county
remains
green
or
in
the
low
level.
This
marks
the
third
week
in
which
buncombe
has
been
at
a
low
community
level.
The
community
recommendations
at
this
time
at
this
level
are
to
stay
up
to
date
on
vaccines
and
get
tested.
If
you
have
symptoms
or
an
exposure,
I
did
want
to
note
that
the
north
carolina
department
of
health
and
human
services
did
successfully
transition
their
covid19
dashboard
to
a
weekly
update
and
that
began
on
march
23rd.
A
North
carolina
dhhs
has
begun
to
transition
their
data
dashboard
to
reflect
this
new
phase
of
the
response
and
has
a
more
has
more
of
a
focus
on
surveillance
and
monitoring
systems,
while
maintaining
some
of
the
original
components
such
as
the
case
rate,
the
hospitalization
data
and
the
vaccination
rates.
But
I
will
also
mention
that
those
original
components
will
begin
migrating
to
a
weekly
update,
beginning
april
6.
So
this
week
for
more
information
or
to
visit,
the
new
dashboard
folks
can
visit
covid19.ncdhhs.gov.
A
A
I
will
also
want
to
remind
folks
that
in
the
last
week,
we've
also
seen
the
addition
of
the
second
booster
for
those
50
and
above
and
immunocompromised
individuals.
A
A
We
see
that
gap
begin
to
narrow
between
our
african-american
population
and
our
and
our
white
population,
still
not
exactly
what
we
would
like
to
see.
But,
as
I
talk
further
in
in
the
slides
about
where
we
are
with
our
mobile
team,
that
is
the
hope
that
will
continue
as
we
hire
our
our
communicable
disease
and
infection
prevention,
mobile
team,
that
we
will
continue.
This
equity
focused
vaccine
effort
into
neighborhoods
into
communities
working
with
community
health
workers
in
historically
marginalized
communities,
low-income
communities
and
rural
communities.
A
The
second
graph
is
actually
showing
vaccine
as
a
function
of
ethnicity,
and
here
we
see
a
very
similar
start
with
a
disparity
between
non-hispanic
and
hispanic
groups
in
the
early
months.
But
again
as
equity-focused
efforts
began
to
be
implemented
and
relationships,
particularly
with
groups
like
the
mexican
consulate
and
healthier
together
were
established.
A
A
And
just
a
reminder
for
folks
that
having
an
at-home
test
kit
is
one
way
to
help
continue
to
limit
the
spread
of
a
virus
to
others
through
quick
identification
and
then
limiting
your
contact
with
others
and,
as
we
locally
continue
to
integrate.
Many
of
the
coven
19
functions
like
like
I
mentioned
the
vaccine
clinic
integration
integrating
into
our
immunization
clinic.
A
Many
of
those
coveted
19
functions
are
now
being
integrated
into
our
normal
public
health
operations.
To
reflect
our
current
phase
of
the
response,
we
have
also
modified
the
ready
team
phone
line
to
match
that
current
need,
and
in
that
demand
to
to
more
fully
transition
code,
19
calls
into
our
existing
clinic
function.
A
You
might
remember
that
the
ready
team
phone
line
was
established
early
on
in
the
pandemic.
I
believe
it
was
around
april
of
2020
to
address
community
members
questions
over
time
that
call
volume
has
decreased.
We
continue
to
have
ready
team
members
on
staff
that
do
address
covid19
questions.
They
support
our
communicable
disease
nurses
and
assist
with
covet
19
vaccine
immunizations,
but
staffing
staffing
needs
have
decreased
over
time
and
again
just
gradually
integrating
all
of
that
into
our
normal
public
health
operations.
A
So
we
began
migrating
all
calls
that
were
coming
into
the
ready
line
phone
line,
which
is
four
one:
nine:
zero,
zero,
nine
five:
that's
the
ready
team
line
to
our
existing
two
five
zero
five
thousand
beginning
march
21st.
So
if
folks
were
calling
the
0095,
it
was
automatically
being
forwarded
over
to
the
5000
and
we
were
answering
those
calls
and.
A
Transferring
them
appropriately
to
either
our
immunization
clinic
or
to
sometimes
our
economic
services
staff,
because
we
were
still
having
folks
call
about
coveted
financial
assistance,
so
we
do
plan
to
discontinue
the
use
of
that
extension,
the
ready
ready
team
phone
line
due
to
the
low
usage
and
the
low
demand,
and
we
plan
to
discontinue
at
this
week.
This
means
that
we
will
integrate
kova
19
calls
into
our
normal
phone
operations.
A
A
A
A
A
And
lastly,
I
did
want
to
mention
that
buncombe
county
hhs
provided
a
let's
talk
treatment.
I'm
sorry,
let's
talk
treatment
webinar
in
session
last
week
to
provide
information
about
treatment
and
therapeutics.
A
So,
as
I
wrap
up
things
today,
I
did
want
to
just
remind
folks
and
leave
folks
with
just
a
few
things
that
are
going
to
sound
repetitive
for
good
reason.
So
please
be
aware
of
symptoms
and
exposure
to
those
with
covet
19
get
tested.
A
So
one
last
reminder,
as
I
close
out,
that
this
is
national
public
health
week
and
our
hhs
director,
stoney
blevins,
will
be
acknowledging
this
week
at
your
regular
meeting
later
this
evening.
But
while
I
had
a
moment,
I
wanted
to
just
express
my
gratitude
and
respect
for
the
many
public
health
warriors
here
in
buncombe
county
and
across
our
state
and
nation
for
the
incredible
job
that
they
have
been
doing
and
continue
to
do
every
day.
A
Much
of
what
public
health
does
goes
unnoticed
daily,
but
it
is
vital
to
our
vibrant
and
growing
communities,
including
ours
here,
and
to
all
those
dedicating
themselves
to
public
health
service.
I
want
to
thank
you,
please
take
a
moment
this
week
to
think
about
the
ways
that
public
health
is
important
to
our
communities
and
to
our
future,
and
thank
you,
commissioners,
happy
to
answer
any
questions.
You
have.
B
I've
got
a
couple,
I
guess,
tests
to
treat,
questions
or
clarifications.
The
the
gis
link
that
you
sent
reconstruction
by
your
zip
code
is
awesome,
and
that's
so
optimistic.
It's
kind
of
like
just
seems
like
the
way.
The
way
out
of
this
the
way
to
live
with
this.
It
doesn't,
though,
tell
a
citizen
or
patient
very
well
what
to
do
so.
A
Sure
so
for
for
the
test
to
treat
it
can
happen
a
couple
of
ways:
if
you
take
an
at-home
test
and
it
comes
up
positive,
you
can
call
a
test
to
treat
provider
and
say
I've
taken
an
at-home
test
and
they'll
step.
They'll
talk
you
through
stepwise
of
whether
or
not
they'll
accept
that
at
home
test,
because
some
will
others
will
say
great.
I
want
you
to
come
in
and
we'll
do
an
assessment
and
we'll
retest
and
then
from
there
they'll
issue
the
prescription.
A
If
you
are
eligible
and
that's
appropriate
for
your
treatment
and
then
you
will
be
able
to
fulfill
like
fill
that
prescription
right
there
in
in
the
location.
So
for
folks
who
say,
I
just
have
symptoms
and
I'm
not
really
sure
you
can
find
one
of
those
tests
to
treat
providers.
You
can
call
ahead
and
say:
I've
got
really
bad
symptoms.
A
That's
right,
so
there
are
some
criteria
that
have
to
be
met.
I
won't
go
through
all
of
them
right
here,
but
the
providers
at
the
test
to
treat
locations
will
be
able
to
assess
very
quickly
whether
or
not
someone
is
appropriate
for
treatment.
But
there
are
some
qualifying
criteria
that
folks
will
have
to
meet.
Although
now
the
actual
supply
has
increased.
So
that's
that's
good
news
and,
with
cases
being
so
low.
B
A
That's
the
hope
of
just
like
any
other
treatment
that
would
be
available
for
other
types
of
infectious
diseases
and
think
about
maybe
even
flu
and
having
some
of
that
treatment
available
very
quickly
upon
a
positive
test.
That's
the
hope,
yep.
Okay,
thank.