February 23, 2022

get your COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy

Get Your Recommended COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy

Being pregnant puts you at higher risk of getting very sick if you get COVID-19, and getting COVID-19 could cause complications with your pregnancy. Get a COVID-19 vaccine for your health and for the health of your pregnancy. COVID-19 vaccines are very safe and do not affect your fertility.

Learn more about COVID-19, pregnancy, and vaccines .

Free N95 Masks Still Available to the Community

Members of the public interested in receiving a free N95 mask provided by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) can pick them up at two convenient locations in Orange County.

Orange County Health Department will distribute masks at the following locations while supplies last:

Hillsborough
The Orange County Public Library
137 W. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough
Monday - Thursday, 10 am to 7 pm
Friday - Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm

Carrboro
Inter-Faith Council for Social Service (IFC)
110 W. Main Street, Carrboro
Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm

Community members with questions may contact the health department’s call center at (919) 913-8088 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Spanish and other languages available.

PRESS RELEASE: Orange County Officials Leave Indoor Mask Mandate in Place

Statement from Renee Price, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners;

Key metrics like percent of positive tests and number of cases in Orange County are dropping. Extending the mandate will ensure those numbers continue to fall. We want to slow the spread as much as possible to protect children under 5 and adults who are unable to take a COVID-19 vaccine. It is also important to ease pressure on UNC Hospital, which serves as a healthcare hub for our entire region. We will monitor the situation daily and make changes to our policy as soon as conditions warrant.

En Español

Orange County to Host Low-Cost Rabies Clinic

Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) will host a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, February 26, 2022. This is a drive-through clinic that will be held in Chapel Hill, NC.

These low-cost clinics help to ensure that cats and dogs are current on their vaccinations, while providing pet owners with substantial savings on this service. The clinic will offer 1-year and 3-year vaccinations for $10. Pet owners will need to have a previous rabies certificate in hand to receive the 3-year vaccine. A tag alone is not sufficient. The date, time, and location of the clinic are as follows:

Saturday, February 26, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Park & Ride lot on Eubanks Road in Chapel Hill, NC (see map here)
This is a drive-through clinic and OCAS is asking that everyone stay in their car and wear a mask when interacting with staff or volunteers.

Microchips will also be offered at this clinic for $35 each. Owners can choose to have a pet receive only a microchip, only a rabies vaccine, or both. If you are bringing a cat to this clinic, please make sure the cat is in a secure carrier.

OCAS would like to thank everyone advance for their patience as many participants are expected. Cash payments are encouraged to help the line of cars move more quickly.

For more details, please visit www.orangecountync.gov/308/Low-Cost-Clinics or call 919-942-PETS (7387).

Are you ready to quit tobacco?

A 4-week FreshStart Tobacco Cessation class will begin on Tuesday March 8, 2022 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. The class will help you to:

Make a quit plan.
Identify your support system.
Get free patches, gum, and lozenges.

To register, call Rita Krosner at 919-245-2480 or email smokefreeoc@orangecountync.gov. You may also take advantage of one on one counseling, if you prefer. Make a plan to quit today!

Let america be america again by langston hughes

BIPOC Elected Officials Celebrate Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, the BIPOC Elected Officials recorded the reading of a poem by the late Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes. Please listen to, "Let America Be America Again" by clicking the graphic above.

Upcoming Pop-Up Vaccine Events

Moderna for ages 18 and up and Pfizer for ages 12 and up

Thursday, February 24th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm
Orange High School
Flyer: English, Spanish
Walk ins welcome!

5 to 11 Pfizer Vaccine

Wednesday, March 2nd from 4:00 to 8:00 pm
New Hope Elementary
Flyer: English / Spanish
Walk ins welcome!

5 to 11 Pfizer Vaccine

Wednesday, March 9th from 3:30 to 7:30 pm
Efland Cheeks Elementary
Flyer: English / Spanish
Walk ins welcome!

Free COVID-19 Testing

Testing in Hillsborough
Monday through Friday from 7 am to 4 pm

Drive thru testing takes place in the parking lot in front of the Dept. of Social Services (DSS) at 113 Mayo St., Hillsborough , NC 27278.
Registration is strongly recommended and may be done online: mako.exchange/scheduler/registration/?location=7087 You may also call (919) 913-8088 to register weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Walk-in are also welcome.
Your Booking ID will be valid any day during clinic hours and is reusable.
Mako offers only PCR tests.

Testing in Chapel Hill
Monday through Friday from 7 am to 3pm
Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm

Testing takes place at Southern Human Services Center (SHSC) at 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 in the large conference room, which may be accessed via a side entrance, not the main entrance.
Registration may be done online: https://lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 877-562-4850. Walk-in are also welcome.
Optum offers both PCR and rapid tests.
You may find other testing locations here: https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/about-covid-19/testing/find-covid-19-tests

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic

Vaccines are free, and no ID is required! If you are coming for your second dose, or a booster please bring your vaccination card with the record of your previous doses. Visit our COVID-19 Vaccine page for the most up-to-date information: www.orangecountync.gov/getyourshot, or call (919) 913-8088 with any questions.

Ages 5 and up can be vaccinated! To make an appointment call (919) 913-8088 or visit https://takemyshot.nc.gov.

Chapel Hill
Southern Human Services Center
2501 Homestead Rd, Chapel Hill, NC
Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm
By appointment only.
***Ages 5 and up.
***Moderna, J&J, and Pfizer vaccines are available.

Hillsborough
Bonnie B. Davis Environment & Agricultural Center
1020 US Hwy 70 W., Hillsborough, NC
Friday and Saturday 8:00am - 4:00pm
Appointments encouraged but walk-ins also accepted.
***Ages 5 and up.
***Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available.

North Carolina COVID-19 Cases

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 2,574,867 COVID-19 cases, 22,390 deaths and 2,123 hospitalizations. 61% of North Carolina's population is up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination.

There are currently 25,275 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 121 deaths in Orange County. 79% of Orange County residents are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.

For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every day around 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.

More information may be found at www.orangecountync.gov/coronavirus

Contact Information

For general questions (not urgent) about COVID-19, contact NCDHHS at: ncresponse@dhhs.nc.gov or 1-866-462-3821 to address general questions about coronavirus from the public.

If you are an individual or a medical practice with questions about COVID-19, call the Orange County Health Department at (919) 913-8088 weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Contact Kristin Prelipp, the Orange County Health Department’s Public Information Officer at: kprelipp@orangecountync.gov or 919-245-2462.

Orange County Health Department:
Web: www.orangecountync.gov/coronavirus
Phone: 919-245-2400
Email: covid19@orangecountync.gov
Facebook: Orange County Health Department
Instagram: OrangeHealthNC
Twitter: Orange Health NC
Youtube: OCHDNC

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