ASHEVILLE, NC – May 3, 2022 – Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on May 7 indicate:
- There are 235 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days up 73% from the previous week.
- 66% of the total population have received their full primary vaccination series. This is unchanged for over 2 months
- 62% of people with full primary vaccination series have had at least one booster. This has increased 1% since last week.
- The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations are less over the past week and of ICU patients are unchanged than over the previous week.
- The CDC reports that the risk level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending May 5th.
- Wastewater surveillance may provide an early warning before individual testing shows that COVID-19 is spreading. The state dashboard reports that the 15-day rate of change of viral load for the Metropolitan Sewer District for Buncombe County is severely increasing for the time period ending May 4th. The CDC website reports that the rate of change is moderately increasing for the time period ending May 8th.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- Get vaccinated and boosted when eligible.
- People with any COVID symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID should get tested
- People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
Vaccination sites and testing sites can be located through the North Carolina and Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.
Save your face masks:
- The risk level may rise with a new variant
- A person at high risk for severe illness should speak with their health care provider
- Mask wearing is recommended for persons with a positive test, having symptoms, or exposure to someone with COVID-19
- Governor Cooper’s executive order on March 1st says that agencies may require everyone to wear a mask in “high risk” settings like health care facilities, nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org