This month marks two years that the world has had to deal with COVID-19, and while the worst appears to be over, public health experts are warning citizens not to let their guard down just yet.
When the Macon County Board of Health met Dec. 16, officials were feeling generally hopeful about the direction the virus was trending in. On that day, the county only had 57 positive cases, a sharp decrease from the 636 reported on Jan. 8 or even the 463 reported on Sept. 17. There was a slight jump in the numbers earlier in the month after Thanksgiving, but that already seems to be subsiding.
“We did see a slight bump, which we expected after the holidays,” Public Health Director Kathy McGaha said. “But it was nothing like what we saw last year and we’re very thankful for that.”
A lot of that has to do with Macon County citizens being proactive in caring for themselves. With an anticipated increase in travel for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as the rise of the Omicron variant as a new variable, the department has seen a steady stream of people getting their vaccines and booster shots to prepare. At the time of the meeting, the department’s call center had fielded 86,920 calls regarding COVID-19, with hundreds more pouring in every week.
“People don’t want to be feeling bad through the holidays and things like that,” director of nursing Jennifer Garrett said. “Our call center has done 196 calls today… the phones never stop ringing.”
Positive cases have been trending up for the country all month, with the seven-day moving average of cases leaping from 86,898 on Dec. 1 to 132,659 on Dec. 19, and it’s likely to only get worse after the holidays end. The Centers for Disease Control recommends anyone traveling this Christmas take all available precautions against contracting and spreading the disease, especially when it comes to getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated,” read the CDC’s current guidelines for domestic travel during COVID-19. “If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, get tested both before and after your trip.”
For more information on COVID-19 or to schedule a vaccination, booster or test, call the Macon County Public Health COVID-19 call center at 828-349-2081 or go online to www.maconnc.org/covid-19.html.