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Description
Here is the COVID-19 update for Buncombe County for February 23, 2021. Visit buncombeready.org for all of your local COVID-19 updates and vaccination information.
Apologies for the audio echo during the first couple minutes of the meeting.
A
As
you
know,
the
spanish
version
of
this
update
can
be
found
on
our
health
and
human
services.
Facebook
page
at
bchhs
and
all
of
our
community
updates
can
be
found
later
on
this
afternoon,
at
the
falcon
county
on
the
walton
county,
youtube
channel
and
we'll
go
ahead
and
get
started
with
an
update
from
stacy
summers.
B
B
B
Our
community
has
not
seen
a
percent
positivity
this
low
since
about
one
week
before
thanksgiving
regional
hospitalizations
also
continue
to
show
a
pronounced
and
consistent
decline
over
the
last
several
weeks,
while
our
local
trends
continue
to
move
in
a
favorable
direction.
The
decline
in
new
cases
of
percent
positivity
comes
at
a
time
in
which
our
country
has
just
reached
half
a
million
coveted
19
related
deaths.
B
B
For
the
last
three
weeks,
we
have
received
a
baseline
allocation
of
1950
doses.
This
was
based
on
the
expectation
of
five
doses
per
vaccine
bottle
beginning
this
week.
Our
baseline
allocation
will
be
2,
340
doses.
This
may
seem
like
an
increase.
However,
it
is
the
same
number
of
vials
as
the
previous
three
weeks,
but
now
is
based
on
the
expectation
of
six
doses
per
vaccine
bottle.
B
B
We
continue
to
vaccinate
those
in
groups
one
and
two
healthcare
workers
and
individuals.
65
years
and
older,
our
vaccine
supply
was
not
significantly
impacted
by
the
delays.
Last
week,
our
shipment
last
week
arrived
two
days
later
than
expected.
Appointments
last
week
were
not
impacted
by
the
delay,
but
were
rather
impacted
by
potential
winter
weather.
Here
in
the
area,
the
appointments
that
were
canceled
last
week
were
rescheduled
for
this
week.
We
have
already
received
our
allocation
scheduled
for
this
week
and
therefore
expect
no
appointment
impact.
B
This
week,
beginning
this
week,
school
staff
will
become
eligible
for
vaccine
based
on
the
direction
of
local
leadership.
Buncombe
county
hhs
will
implement
a
hybrid
plan
that
will
allow
for
vaccinating
school
staff
and
continue
vaccinating
those
in
group,
one
and
group
two
using
only
one
tray
of
vaccine.
Each
week,
buncombe
county
hhs
will
schedule
school
staff
identified
by
each
school
system
as
interested
in
receiving
the
vaccine.
B
This
will
include
public
charter
and
private.
This
week,
school
administrators
will
be
providing
buncombe
county
hhs
with
lists
of
school
staff
who
have
expressed
interest
in
receiving
the
vaccine.
Our
schedulers
will
use
those
lists
to
schedule
about
1
000
appointments
each
week
for
school
staff,
prioritizing
first
school
based
staff
and
then
district
or
administrative
staff.
After
that,
please
note
that
it
will
take
several
weeks
to
complete
the
school
staff
based
on
one
tray
per
week.
B
B
Our
partners
at
mayheck
have
received
vaccine
doses
as
well
this
week
and
with
part
of
their
allocation,
we'll
be
assisting
and
vaccinate
child
care
facility
staff
as
part
of
group
3
beginning
this
week.
We
are
very
thankful
for
mayheck
and
the
buncombe
county
partnership
for
children
for
their
assistance
and
teamwork
in
providing
vaccine.
B
B
We
are
hearing
from
some
folks
who
are
on
the
wait
list
that
they
have
been
able
to
receive
their
first
dose
of
vaccine
from
one
of
our
other
providers
in
the
area
and
as
more
vaccine
providers
like
walgreens
or
our
partners
at
fqhcs
are
added
to
our
community.
We
are
delighted
to
hear
about
the
increased
opportunity
for
vaccine
distribution.
B
B
Buncombe
county
hhs
and
emergency
management
have
worked
with
partners
at
north
carolina
department
of
health
and
human
services
and
one
of
their
testing
vendors
starmed
to
establish
a
star
med
testing
site
in
buncombe
county
starmed
began
providing
testing
in
buncombe
county
on
february,
4th
at
buncombe
county
sports
park
into
individuals
who
are
showing
symptoms
or
believe
they
have
had
close
contact
with
kova
19
should
get
tested.
You
can
visit
the
find
my
testing
place
website
to
find
a
testing
location
near
you
or
visit
starmed.com
to
register
for
the
buncombe
county
sports
park
testing
site.
B
B
B
More
providers
are
being
added
to
the
community
as
we
continue
to
vaccinate
groups
one
and
two
and
now
school
staff
are
eligible
as
the
first
population
in
group
three,
while
vaccine
rollout
is
underway,
it
will
still
take
a
while
for
our
community
and
our
state
to
receive
sufficient
amounts
of
vaccine
in
order
to
continue
fighting
covet,
19
and
reducing
the
spread
in
buncombe
county.
Please
continue
to
practice
the
three
w's.
B
This
goes
for
folks,
who
have
been
fortunate
enough
to
receive
the
vaccine,
though
you
may
have
received
your
complete
vaccine
series.
Not
everyone
has,
and
until
more
of
us
have
our
complete
vaccine
series,
it
will
remain
immensely
important
to
wear
that
mask
wash
those
hands
stay
six
feet
apart,
limiting
our
interactions
with
people
outside
of
our
household.