May 18, 2020 at 1:54 PM EDT – Updated May 19 at 4:01 AM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WECT) – Governor Roy Cooper was blunt when asked about stories of people gathering in hopes of purposely contracting COVID-19 in an effort to build a herd immunity.
“That is completely irresponsible and absolutely unacceptable,” Cooper said during a media briefing Monday. “If you do that, you can easily kill someone you love.”
NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen also urged people to not purposely try to contract the virus.
“There is no circumstance under which we want folks to actively pursue getting COVID-19,” Cohen said. “The reason we’re working so hard collectively to keep virus spread low is the fact when there is more virus in our community it not only impacts those who have it but particularly those who are at high risk of getting severe reactions.
“We are nowhere near herd immunity. A party will not help us in any way. Please do not do that.”
LIVE: Gov. Roy Cooper holds media briefing on COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted by WECT News on Monday, May 18, 2020
Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday that the state will move into Phase 2 of reopening “only if we are headed in the right direction with our data.”
Cooper said he hopes to be able to announce a decision by midweek on what will happen on Friday.
“Our Phase 1 Executive Order runs through this Friday, but as I’ve said – we are continuing to monitor the data and the metrics that we’ve laid out for our state,” Cooper said in a media briefing. “As we watch and examine the trends, we are working with public health and the private sector to determine how we can reduce the risk of spread in the next phase. Remember – we have flattened the curve, but the threat of COVID-19 is still here.”
Long-term care facilities getting PPE
More than 3,000 state-licensed long-term care facilities will receive PPE packs, including a 14-day supply of face shields, procedure masks, gloves and shoe covers, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday.
“Since the start of this pandemic, we’ve worked hard to protect long-term care facilities like nursing homes,” Cooper said. “We know that in addition to having many residents who are at-risk for severe illness, the nature of these facilities makes the virus spread easier from person to person.
“This week we are continuing a comprehensive push to distribute personal protective equipment to more than 3,800 licensed care facilities across the state, including nursing homes, adult care homes and more. We are sending to them a two-week supply of face shields, procedure masks, gloves, shoe covers and hand sanitizer. I’m proud of and thankful for the emergency managers and National Guard members who are getting this critical gear to where it’s needed.”
“Approximately 275 testing sites are on the DHHS website,” Cooper said. “In the last 7 days, we’ve tested an average of about 7,500 people per day. With expanded guidance to health care providers on who ought to be tested and more sites available, we expect daily testing to continue to increase.”
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