Two deaths reported on Friday, Feb. 11 brought the COVID-19 death toll in Macon County to 100.
On Friday, Macon County Public Health said it was notified that two COVID-19 patients had passed away, both of them over the age of 65. No further information was provided on the patients’ identities, but their loss marked a grim milestone in the county’s two-years-and-counting battle against the virus. Public Health Director Kathy McGaha said cases have been trending in the right direction in recent weeks, but these deaths are a reminder that it’s too soon to let up.
“We are seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases,” McGaha said. “However, residents can continue to protect themselves by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and booster if eligible. Residents are also encouraged to wear masks indoors and to socially distance.”
As of Monday, there were 181 active COVID cases in the county, a decline from 601 active cases on Feb. 1.
Macon County currently has one of the lowest rates of cases per 100,000 residents in the state, sitting at 703 on Monday. The United States had experienced 910,373 COVID-19-related deaths by Friday, with surges brought on by the Omicron variant adding thousands more every week. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is redoubling efforts to distribute more N95 masks and rapid tests to health departments, schools and care facilities to get ahead of the spread of Omicron.
“This has been an all-hands-on-deck effort to meet the demands of the Omicron surge,” NCDHHS secretary Kody Kinsley said in a recent release. “It has taken an enormous team effort — from our procurement teams turning every stone to secure tests, to our warehouse teams working around the clock to ship supplies to community partners, to local health departments and community organizations on the ground ensuring the resources get where they are most needed.”
Measures such as washing your hands, maintaining six feet of social distance and wearing a mask in mixed company can help prevent the spread of the virus. Anyone who is eligible can get vaccinated and boosted to help reduce their chances of getting seriously ill should they contract the virus. Medical experts and health organizations like the Centers for Disease Control agree that it’s a safe an effective vaccination that can make a life-saving difference.
“Boosters are safe and effective, and CDC continues to recommend everyone five and older remain up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, to ensure optimal protection against hospitalizations and severe outcomes,” reads a Friday release from the CDC. “For most people, that means getting a booster dose five months after receiving an mRNA vaccine or two months after receiving Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. CDC is continuing to closely monitor the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to help inform public health efforts.”
For more information on COVID-19 resources in Macon County, call Macon County Public Health at 828-349-2081 or go online to maconnc.org/covid-19.html.