Dare County Health and Human Services reported the county’s 22st COVID-19 death on Tuesday, the eighth since August.
The death was reported on the health department’s daily dashboard and no other details were released.
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, 6,126 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
The number of new COVID-19 cases and the percent of positive tests to total tests both decreased this past week, however Dare County continues to experience widespread community transmission of the COVID-19 virus and remains in the red category on the CDC’s Level of Community Transmission map. Red indicates a high level of community transmission of the virus. We are hopeful with continued practice of mitigation measures, including getting vaccinated, masking, physical distancing and good hand hygiene, we will continue to see numbers decrease and the county move into a moderate to low level of community transmission.
While Dare County remains an area of widespread community transmission, all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, ages 5 and over should wear a mask when indoors in public settings. All individuals should consider wearing a mask when outside if gathering in large crowds. Individuals ages 5 and over should get vaccinated for COVID-19 to help prevent serious illness, hospitalizations and death.
The total number of new positive cases reported in Dare County for the past week was 67. The majority of new cases were acquired by direct contact with friends or family members who were positive or symptomatic. Of the 67 new cases last week:
57 (85%) are symptomatic
59 (88%) acquired the virus by direct contact with someone who was positive for COVID-19.
47 (70%) were not vaccinated. Of the 20 vaccinated cases: 3 had J&J vaccine; 11 had Moderna, 6 had Pfizer).
Currently, there are 56 active COVID-19 cases among residents of Dare County. There are 3 residents hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19.
The reported positive cases only include laboratory confirmed cases reported by medical providers, urgent care centers, the hospital, or the state, which includes tests performed at area pharmacies. Self-reported, over the counter, home tests are not counted in the reported count totals, however contact tracing is conducted for the positive self reported cases. If an individual tests positive more than once (i.e. retests and still positive) it is only counted as one case.
Breakthrough Cases
When an individual tests positive for COVID-19 two weeks or later from receiving the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine that is considered a breakthrough case. Vaccine breakthrough cases are expected. COVID-19 vaccines are effective and are a critical tool to bring the pandemic under control. However, no vaccines are 100% effective at preventing illness in vaccinated people. There will be a small percentage of fully vaccinated people who still get sick, are hospitalized, or die from COVID-19. According to the CDC, there is evidence that vaccination may make illness less severe for those who are vaccinated and still get sick.
Since the week of April 12th when the first breakthrough case was reported, there have been 2,990 positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Dare County. 2,390 (80%) of those cases were not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated. Of the 600 breakthrough cases:
353 residents and 247 non-residents
236 were asymptomatic; 266 reported mild symptoms and 41 reported moderate symptoms
3 were hospitalized
0 deaths
123 had the J&J vaccine
244 had the Moderna vaccine
230 had the Pfizer vaccine
3 had Astrazeneca
The whole numbers provided above are for informational purposes and not an indication of effectiveness of one vaccine compared to the others. Of note, the Moderna vaccine has been the predominant vaccine administered by Dare DHHS. The breakdown of the COVID 19 vaccines administered by Dare DHHS are: 5% J&J, 24% Pfizer and 71% Moderna.
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children 5-11 years of age
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have authorized and recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 pediatric vaccines for children ages 5-11. Consequently, children ages 5-11 are now eligible to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 pediatric vaccination primary series vaccine.
Dare County Department of Health & Human Services is partnering with Surf Pediatrics and Medicine to provide a clinic for individuals 5-11 years of age. The clinic will be held at Surf Pediatrics and Medicine’s Kitty Hawk Office (5107 N. Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk) on Saturday November 13, 2021. Over 170 appointments have already been scheduled. There are a limited number of appointments still available for this clinic. Appointments are required. This clinic is only open for individuals 5-11 years of age.
To make an appointment for your child for this clinic, please visit www.darenc.com/Register4Vaccine or call 252.475.5008. You may also contact your local area pharmacy to set up an appointment to receive the vaccine.
COVID Vaccinations in Dare
All individuals 5 years of age and over are encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 vaccinations are readily available at numerous locations throughout the county including the health department and many area pharmacies like: Walgreens, CVS, Sunshine Family Pharmacy, Island Pharmacy, Bear Drugs, and Beach Pharmacy.
Individuals ages 5 and over should get vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19. If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Since late December 2020, a total of 26,307 (71%) of eligible Dare County residents have received an initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 25,221 (68%) are fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 Booster Dose Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have authorized booster vaccine shots and recommend them for individuals who are at high risk for serious illness or exposure. You are eligible for a booster if you have completed your vaccine series (You received your second/final dose of Pfizer or Moderna more than SIX months ago; You received your Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than TWO months ago) and ONE of the following is true
You are 65 or older, or
You are 18 and over and live or work in a nursing home or long-term care residential facility, or
You are 18 and over and have a medical condition that puts you at high risk for severe illness (for example, obesity, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes), or
You are 18 and over and work in a high-risk profession, meaning you come into contact with a lot of people, and you don’t know their vaccination status (for example, health care workers, first responders, teachers, food processing workers, retail and restaurant workers, and public transportation workers), or
You are 18 and over and live or work in a place where many people live together (for example, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, migrant farm housing, dormitories or other group living settings in colleges or universities).
Additionally, individuals are now able to receive any brand of COVID-19 vaccine for their booster shot. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. Dare County Department of Health & Human Services will not advise you on which booster you should receive, please speak with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you have questions about what booster is right for you.
Dare County Department of Health & Human Services will be offering Moderna booster vaccines. Below you will find a breakdown of where Dare County residents can receive first, second and booster doses.
First or Second of Moderna
You may call your area pharmacy or call our Clinical Services team at 252.475.5003 (select option #2, leave a message if you reach voicemail).
Booster Dose of ModernaCall your area pharmacy or call 252.475.5003 to receive your vaccine through Dare County Department of Health & Human Services.
First Dose or Booster Dose of J&J
Call your area pharmacy.
First, Second or Booster Dose of PfizerCall your area pharmacy.
For more information or questions about COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses, please visit www.darenc.com.COVIDvaccine
This past week there were 730 COVID-19 diagnostic tests reported in Dare County. This brings the total number of tests performed since early March of last year to 57,782. There were 67 positive cases between November 1 and November 7. The percentage of positive tests to overall tests in Dare County since we started testing in March 2020 has been relatively stable for the past three weeks. This past week was 10.55%. The percentage of positive tests to total tests for the past week decreased from the previous week to 9.18%. Syndromic surveillance of individuals presenting with COVID like symptoms to the emergency department and urgent care centers shows low levels of activity. These graphs can be found on the Dare County website at www.darenc.com/covid19.