ASHEVILLE, NC – October 5, 2022 – The CDC reports that the community level for Buncombe County is low for the week ending September 29th. Most of North Carolina is low although 13 out of 100 counties are at a high community level. Most of the counties in the U.S. are at a low or medium level with only 3% of the counties at a high level. For a community at a low community level, the CDC recommends:
- You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.
- If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider wearing a mask indoors in public and take additional precautions.
The Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics are on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on September 28th indicate:
- There have been 111 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 7 days down 29% from 150 cases the previous week.
- 67% of the total population have received their primary vaccination series. Unchanged the past 8 weeks.
- 66% of people with their primary vaccination series have had at least one booster. This is unchanged over the past 6 weeks.
- The seven-day daily average of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 50 and has decreased by 10 since last week, and of ICU patients is 8 and has increased by 3 from the previous week.
The FDA and the CDC approved a new COVID booster that targets the original virus and the new dominant BA.4 and BA.5 variants. This new booster will replace the previous booster shot that had targeted only the original version of the virus. However, the original vaccine will still be used for persons who have not received the primary vaccination series. The booster shots will be available at the Department of Public Health Coxe Avenue vaccination clinic, pharmacies, community health centers and rural health clinics. Eligible persons 12 years old and up can have the booster. They must be at least 2 months after any prior COVID-19 shots and have had the primary vaccination series. The CDC advises that people who recently had COVID consider delaying their boosters until 3 months after their symptoms started or after a positive COVID test if they were asymptomatic.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
- People with any COVID symptoms 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.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org