FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 3, 2021
In the week since the last press release, Haywood County Public Health has received notice of 106 new cases of COVID-19. As of 5 p.m. on August 2, 2021, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recorded a total of 4,725 cases in Haywood County since the pandemic began.
According to the CDC, Haywood County, and most of North Carolina are listed as areas of high community transmission. Mask-wearing indoors is now recommended in such areas. Beginning this week, masks are now required in Haywood County facilities for employees and the public.
“There is no doubt that COVID is once again very prevalent in our community. If you haven’t chosen to be vaccinated already, now would be the time. The dominant variant of COVID, known as the delta variant, is proving to be highly contagious. Wearing masks when indoors and choosing vaccination are our best tools against this virus. Choosing to both mask when indoors AND vaccinate gives us the maximum protection possible,” said Haywood County Public Health Director Sarah Henderson.
Walk-in vaccinations are available at the health department and at grocery stores and pharmacies throughout the county.
Vaccination clinic hours are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours at the Haywood County Health Department. Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are available now, no appointment is necessary.
For more information on this or other vaccination sites visit: www.vaccines.gov
Citizens who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to reach out to friends or family that meet the close contact criteria, and encourage them to self-quarantine and get tested 5-6 days after their exposure to the individual who tested positive. The end goal is to reduce community spread and keep COVID numbers on the downward trend.
Businesses need to be mindful that having quarantined employees return to work too quickly could cause a cluster of cases in the workplace. We ask that employers rely on the honor system and encourage employees who have been exposed to quarantine for the recommended time frame of 14 days from the date of exposure to help reduce potential spread.