COVID-19 Updates: October 21, 2020 |
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This video, filmed on October 14, 2020, features a conversation with Orange County Health Director, Quintana Stewart; Emergency Services Director, Dinah Jeffries; Rebecca Crawford, the Finance Director for the Orange County HealthDepartment (OCHD); and Kristin Prelipp, the Communications Manager and Public Information Officer for OCHD.
This “Public Health Chat” includes the following topics: - A COVID-19 update for Orange County, NC
- Discussion about the local response to this global pandemic
- K-12 schools and the metrics they are using to decide about re-opening
- How to stay safe but still have fun this Halloween
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COVID-19 testing event and FREE flu vaccines this Saturday, October 24th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael St. Chapel Hill, NC 27514
For more information, please view the fliers below:
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Early Voting in Orange County |
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The Orange County Board of Elections, in conjunction with the Orange County Health Department, Public Libraries and Community Relations Department, has created a video about the in-person voting process for the upcoming Presidential election.
The video features the six Early Voting sites and a demonstration of the safety protocols that will be in place during early voting and on Election Day.
The video is in English, Spanish and Chinese and can be found on the library’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/OCNCPublicLibraries. “We are doing all we can to ensure you can vote safely in Orange County,” said Rachel Raper, Orange County Elections Director.
Each voting location during early voting and on Election Day will feature enhanced cleaning protocols, social distancing and single-use pens and single-use cotton swabs for voters, Raper said. Early voting began on Thursday, Oct. 15. |
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How to Celebrate Halloween Safely |
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Safer, Alternative Ways to Participate in Halloween
Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
This guidance discourages traditional trick-or-treating or trunk-and-treating where treats are handed to children.
Lower Risk Activities
These lower risk activities can be safe alternatives:
- Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
- Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
- Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
- Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
- Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
- Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house
Moderate Risk ActivitiesParticipating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard) - If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
- Be sure not to leave the candy by the road to ensure that no animals take it, as many Halloween candy ingredients are toxic to animals.
- Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
- Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
- NOTE: A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
- Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart - If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
- Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
- Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart
- If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
- Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.
High Risk ActivitiesAvoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19: - Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
- Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in parking lots
- Attending crowded costume parties that are held indoors
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
- Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
- Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19
If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters. This guidance discourages traditional trick-or-treating or trunk-and-treating where treats are handed to children.Are Household and Family the Same?The people with whom you live are your household. Your household may be thought of as a “germ bubble” in that you share germs and protect your bubble from outside germs. Your household may contain family members or you may live with people who are not related to you. Family are all the people you are related to, whether or not they live with you. During the pandemic it is important to wear a mask and stay six feet apart from people who are not part of your of your household.Every household within your extended family has a different risk of exposure to coronavirus. For instance, if someone in your family works in a place where he or she frequently interacts with people who are sick, like a hospital, or if they are a frontline worker, or have a child who attends a daycare, his or her risk of exposure to COVID-19 is likely higher. An important part of gathering in a small group during this pandemic is doing so outdoors — in your backyard, for example. Even though you’re outside and even though you’re around family, you still need to maintain social distancing. While having a conversation, remember that six feet is probably further than you think — about two arm’s lengths. You may even want to use tables or other physical barriers as a reminder to keep your distance from family members that aren’t a part of your household. Remember Pedestrian SafetyThe same pedestrian safety recommendations apply to this Halloween. If you chose to go out at night, remember: - Be seen! Carry glow sticks or flashlights and wear light colored clothing.
- Always walk on sidewalks or paths. Be sure to cross the street using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Watch for cars turning or backing up.
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Why achieving health equity is so hard
in the telehealth age |
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Telehealth has become almost synonymous with video visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. But in leapfrogging phone visits, many health care organizations have done the opposite of what they set out to do: They’ve made it harder for the most at-risk patients to get in front of a physician.
A webinar hosted by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), “Crossing the Virtual Chasm: Rethinking Curriculum, Competency and Culture in the Virtual Care Era,” featured a presentation about on who is being left behind in the sudden shift to telehealth and what needs to be done to bridge this new iteration of the digital divide.
The daylong virtual conference included five panel?discussions with experts from around the country and focused on defining a?framework for assessing competency for training in virtual care, as well as addressed challenges, workflows, strategies?and best practices in virtual care enabled education.
? Historically vulnerable populations
“Among Americans over 65—who are 18% of the population and hence most likely to need chronic disease management—only about 55–60% of these patients own a smartphone or have home broadband access,” said Christian Dankers, MD, associate chief quality officer at MGH, citing figures from the Pew Research Center.
“And of the 73% of this population that uses the internet, only around 60% were able to send an email, fill out a form, find a website,” he added. “That presents some pretty significant barriers to setting up a virtual visit.”
But older Americans are far from the only at-risk group struggling to get online, he noted. Among low-income Americans, who make up roughly one-eighth of the population, just 53% have basic digital literacy. They also have low rates of smartphone ownership, broadband access and internet use.
The upshot of it all, Dr. Dankers said, is that patients already at risk of low access to health care have, in fact, made up a smaller proportion of visits during the pandemic.
A commentary published in The New England Journal of Medicine, “Addressing Equity in Telemedicine for Chronic Disease Management During the Covid-19 Pandemic,” notes that while video visits skyrocketed from 3% to 80% in the early days of COVID-19, the proportion of visits by patients 65 or older fell from 41% to 35%. Among patients with non-English preference, such visits dropped from 14% to 7%, and the proportion of visits by patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid also dipped.
Read more about why so many patients still can’t connect to doctors via telehealth. Also find out why understanding your “webside manner” is essential to succeeding with telehealth as a physician.
Free tablets not foolproof
The health system has been built for a narrow socioeconomic profile, said Aswita Tan-McGrory, director of the Disparities Solutions Center at MGH and administrative director at the Mongan Institute. That’s someone who speaks English first, can make sense of patient portals, has internet access and isn’t concerned with immigration coming after them, she said, noting that efforts such as distributing tablets free of charge to at-risk patients tend to fall short. Can the physician practice or health system “work remotely with a patient to help them download Zoom, download the patient gateway, download email?” she asked, noting that’s not the end, because patients often need help learning how to use these new tools. Recognizing that virtual care was creating new barriers to equitable access to care, Mass General Brigham is launching this fall an alternative video platform to facilitate easy access to the care team with a one-click, browser-based solution with integrated medical interpretation on demand. Providing assistance to patients trying to navigate telemedicine visits is one of many value-added roles that medical students have assumed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further engaging learners in these visits is a goal of the AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium. This presentation was part of a panel, “Keeping the Patient in the Center: The Impact of Virtual Care on Patient Experience,” which included an in-depth look at surveys of patient experience during the explosion of telehealth. Acknowledging that many patients are unable or unwilling to access telemedicine that contains a video component, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services responded to physicians’ concerns and raised payments for audio-only telephone visits to match rates for office and outpatient visits. The? AMA quick guide to telemedicine in practice?and the? AMA Telehealth Implementation Playbook?been developed to help physicians swiftly ramp up their telemedicine capabilities. |
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NC Housing Opportunities & Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program Now Open |
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About
The NC Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program is now accepting applications to provide a total of $117 million in rent and utility assistance to renters who have been impacted by COVID-19, have a current household income that is 80 percent of the area median income or lower, and are behind on rent or utility payments. Ultimately, the program seeks to promote housing stability during the ongoing pandemic by providing rent and utility assistance to prevent evictions and utility disconnections.
How to Apply
Renters who need rent or utility assistance can apply online at nc211.org/hope. Applicants who cannot access the online application can also call 2-1-1 and speak with a program representative, who will assist the caller through the application on the phone. Callers can reach 2-1-1 Monday-Friday between 7 am and 6 pm.
What qualifies as below 80% area median income?- Durham-Chapel Hill MSA (Chatham, Durham, and Orange counties): 1-person family, $50,900. 2-person family, $58,200. 4-person, $72,700
- Raleigh, NC MSA (Franklin, Wake, & Johnston counties): 1-person family, $52,750. 2-person family, $60,250. 4-person, $75,300
Assistance Features The HOPE Program is a grant program, not a loan program. · Rent Assistance: Pays rent payments on behalf of applicant, is available for up to six months, including back and future rent, is paid directly to landlords that agree to participate in the program. · Utility Assistance: Assists with essential utilities, such as: electricity, water and sewer/wastewater, natural gas, and propane. The assistance is available for up to six months of past due utility payments and is paid directly to the utility provider. The HOPE Program is funded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus funds and U.S. Department of Treasury Coronavirus Relief funds, which have been provided to North Carolina. The funds are administered by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, a division of the Department of Public Safety, and will be distributed through community partner agencies across the state.
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Free Smoking Cessation class |
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The FreshStart Class is 1 hour class for 4 consecutive weeks held on Tuesday evenings from 6pm – 7pm. Participants receive the cessation education, class materials, group support and all Nicotine Replacement Therapy products for FREE .
Registration deadline for this class is Monday, November 2, 2020 but there is some flexibility to this deadline depending on space.
This is a virtual class held via GO TO MEETING; therefore, participants will need to have access to a computer. |
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North Carolina COVID-19 Cases
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 248,750 COVID-19 cases, 3,992 deaths, and 1,203 hospitalizations, as of October 21, 2020. For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every day at noon), please visit the NCDHHS website.
Orange County Health Department also has a COVID-19 dashboard webpage, with information on COVID-19 data in the county. The dashboard will be updated every Tuesday and Thursday.
There are currently 2,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Orange County, and 58 deaths.
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COVID-19 Community Resources
For more information on COVID-19 community resources in the county, please visit our webpage. Resources on specific topic areas, such as food access, education, housing, and others, are all accessible on our website, or at the links below. |
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