Community News

Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update: The Rapid Decline of The Omicron Surge

ASHEVILLE, NC – On February 15, the Department of Health and Human Services and Public Health Director Stacie Saunders posted the weekly Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update. Stacie Saunders said, “Public health leadership will continue to monitor cases and percent positivity and with emphasis on hospitalizations and deaths. We will continue to work with our area medical providers, community partners, and hospital system to adapt to changes in the pandemic at the local level.” The weekly COVID-19 metrics from the Buncombe County Department of Health & Human Services indicate that:

• There is a decrease in the COVID-19 case rate by 26%, fewer hospitalizations and ICU admissions, and an increase in the death rate. The case rate still remains high at a total of 386 cases per 100,000 people per week.
• Percent positivity is 15.5% compared to 19.6% last week. This is well above the 5% level, indicating that the transmission rate is still high.
• Almost 70% of the eligible population are fully vaccinated and 56% of the fully vaccinated have received boosters. Both values are unchanged from last week.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Vaccines because they reduce the risk of infection, severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths 
• Therapeutics because they reduce the likelihood of severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk people.
• Public health measures of vaccinations with boosters, testing, and staying home when not feeling well

Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services. 

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

A Prescription for Better Physical and Financial Health: Medicaid Expansion for North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, NC – February 1, 2022. The Republican-dominated North Carolina state legislature has formed a committee to study Medicaid expansion and access to health care as required by the 2022 state budget. Previous budgets had been vetoed by Governor Cooper, a Democrat, because they did not include expanding Medicaid coverage. The Governor signed the 2022 budget because it included a provision to study this issue. It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of uninsured adults in North Carolina would be able to obtain access to medical care with Medicaid expansion. Medicaid currently covers over 2 million people in the state yet more than 1 million people (12.9% of the population) do not have health insurance including 30 thousand Buncombe County residents. In an interview on December 15, 2021, Governor Cooper said, “I’m still deeply disappointed that we have yet to expand Medicaid, particularly in the middle of a pandemic, particularly when you have more than a million of North Carolinians without health insurance.” 

According to a recent University of Michigan study, the benefits of Medicaid expansion are:

1. To improve the physical and financial health for low-income persons, including better health, increased life expectancy and lower debt
2. To reduce the amount of uncompensated care for hospitals
3. To stimulate the economy and create jobs

Medicaid expansion was originally included in the 2012 Affordable Care Act, by relaxing the program requirements defining the ‘very neediest,’ but the Supreme Court ruled that each state had the right to decide upon expansion rather than the federal government.  Thirty-eight states and Washington D.C. have expanded Medicaid either through their state legislature or by voter referendum. All 6 voter-referendums have passed including in 3 Republican states. North Carolina is one of twelve non-expansion states. The legislature has resisted any attempt to pass Medicaid expansion, in spite of the strong support by the governor. Many years ago, the North Carolina state legislature had passed a law that does not allow for voter referendums negating any attempts to circumvent the legislature’s anti-expansion position. 

This has become a political football with Republicans generally opposed to expansion for fear of rising taxes, increasing the state budget and a bigger government although the state costs for expansion have been shown to be covered by other health programs whose users gain coverage from Medicaid (like correctional health care and community mental health). Congress has voted to defray the cost of Medicaid expansion by 90% for each state although this is time-limited. North Carolina state hospitals and health-care systems have recently agreed to provide $758 million to help cover the state’s 10% share. 

Listen to the full Healthy Asheville Report below:

Dick Needleman, Health reporter, Asheville FM, 103.3 WSFM-LP, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update: COVID-19 Hospitalizations & ICU Admissions Have Increased 

ASHEVILLE, NC – On February 1, the Department of Health and Human Services and Public Health Director Stacie Saunders briefed the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners about the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic and posted the weekly Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update.

• There is a decrease in the COVID-19 case rate by 4% this week. Last week it was down by 21%.
• There is an increase in hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths in Western North Carolina this week. 
• Percent positivity is 24%, well above the 5% level, indicative of a high transmission rate.
• COVID-19 patients comprise 16% of inpatient hospital beds including 37% of ICU beds
• 69% of the eligible population are fully vaccinated up from 68% last week; almost 55% of the fully vaccinated have received boosters.
• Unvaccinated people represent 70% of hospitalizations and 79% of ICU admissions due to COVID-19 in North Carolina.

Stacie Saunders said “we expect cases to continue to decrease, it is likely that the hospitalizations and deaths may also begin to see a decrease in the next several days to weeks…We are clearly still a community with high transmission and it’s important to continue to take the basic steps to protect yourself with the tools that we have to fight COVID-19.” The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Get vaccinated and boosters when eligible. Boosters are shown to provide significant protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death
• Get tested if exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have symptoms
• Stay at home if you are not feeling well, even with a negative Covid test 
• Wear a mask when in public indoor spaces

Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services. 

At the Buncombe County Commissioner’s Briefing, Stacie Saunders said that the goal of 70% full vaccination has almost been reached although this number was established many months ago at the onset of vaccination. In light of the more highly transmissible Delta and Omicron strains and the effectiveness of boosters when eligible, she indicated at the February 2 virtual media Question & Answer session that “my goal is to get to everyone who wants vaccination and boosters.”

Listen to the full Healthy Asheville Report below:

Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

News Team correspondent Coco Garcia spoke with Allyson Seifert, co-owner of Pollen AVL, one of the newest coffee + floral shops in town. Pollen has a wide assortment of both coffee and flowers – with coffee recipes changing monthly and flora restocking weekly. The shop also partners with other community members to create pop-ups, such as terrarium building and wine tasting, with much more to come.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Pollen is preparing for the holiday orders. The shop is offering three color arrangements with options that come from the inspiration of the employee’s favorite love movies, ranging from the A24 2016 feature movie, Moonlight featuring Mahershala Ali, to the controversial neo-western romance story, Brokeback Mountain, between Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall to the ultimate ’80s, David Lynch film, Wild at Heart.

Listen below to find out why Pollen is unlike any other flower shop and goes above and beyond a coffee shop, especially this Valentine’s Day.

Pollen is having a pop-up hosted by Drum Machines Edition and Seether Bookstore, Saturday and Sunday from 12-4pm – Join them for artists’ books, used books, zines, cassettes, print editions, posters, hats and of course, flowers and coffee. 

To learn more about Pollen and their Valentine’s specials click here. 

Pollen is located on 45 S French Broad Ave. Suite 150.

Open: Cafe- (8AM – 4PM)
Flower Bar- (10AM – 4PM) – (Sun 8AM – 4PM)

Valentines Day hours: (8AM – 5PM)

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour

Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update: COVID-19 Hospitalizations & ICU Admissions Have Increased

ASHEVILLE, NC – On January 25, the Department of Health and Human Services and Public Health Director Stacie Saunders posted the weekly Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update. She said that “though our case rate is showing a decline right now, our other indicators continue to increase.” 

• There is a decrease in the COVID-19 case rate by 21% this week. Last week it was up by 26%.
• There is an increase in hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths this week. 
• Percent positivity is rising to more than 25%, well above the 5% level, indicative of a high transmission rate.
• COVID-19 patients comprise 15% of inpatient hospital beds including 33% of ICU beds
• 68% of the eligible population are fully vaccinated; almost 55% of the fully vaccinated have received boosters.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Get vaccinated and boosters when eligible. Boosters are shown to provide significant protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death
• Get tested if exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have symptoms
• Stay at home if you are not feeling well, even with a negative Covid test 
• Wear a mask when in public indoor spaces

Vaccination sites, testing sites, free home testing kits, and free high-quality KN95 face masks can be located through the Department of Health and Human Services. The free kits and face masks are available as long as supplies last. A new federal government program allows every home in the U.S. to order 4 free at-home Covid tests. To make a request, go to www.Covidtests.gov. Free N95 masks are available at pharmacies and community health care centers through another federal program.

Listen to the full report here:

Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM [email protected]

More Posts for Show: Asheville FM News Hour