>> Good afternoon, everybody and thank you for joining today's update as of today we've had 903,003 74 COVID-19 cases.

2112 new cases reported since yesterday.

945 people in the hospital.

And 11,987 people have died.

Our prayers continually are with those who've lost loved ones or who are fighting this virus.

Our sustained progress with the COVID-19 metrics allowed us this week to ease some additional restrictions beginning tomorrow while maintaining strong safety protocols.

We're focused on slowing the spread of this virus while continuing to move the economy forward in a safe way.

And our health care providers across the state are working tirelessly.

Early and late.

In our fast and fair distribution of vaccines.

As of the day we've had ministered almost 4.3 million doses.

Almost a 3rd of our adult population has gotten at least one shot and one in 5 of our adult population are fully vaccinated.

We're seeing continued improvement in providing vaccines to underserved communities.

Our Department of Health and Human Services is working with providers to improve outreach.

And I'm sure more people have access.

That includes standing up community vaccine sites working with houses of worship civic groups and businesses setting up a free vaccine hotline and much more.

These efforts are important in getting more shots in arms.

Vaccines are the key to moving us forward.

I'm ready for that I'm sure you are too.

As I mentioned on Tuesday.

Our vaccine team has been talking with providers constantly to assess where they are in getting vaccine out across the state.

It varies in different localities but our overall success has been good in the state's ready to open vaccine access to more adults.

So today, I'm announcing that we will move to the rest of the group for on March 31st.

This includes essential workers and commercial services such as hospitality and retail chemical and pharmaceutical facilities construction housing.

And real estate and other essential sectors.

Then the biggest change will happen on April 7th.

When we will open eligibility to group 5.

And that means all adults will then be eligible for the vaccine.

We've been faster and have gotten more supply than we had anticipated.

And that's fantastic.

Our Department of Health and Human Services and our vaccine team here along with providers across the state deserve a lot of things.

I'm also grateful for North Carolinians who are taking this seriously and getting the shot when it's their time.

And I'm encouraged that North Carolina will be able to open eligibility to all adults.

Well ahead of the president's May first gold.

We're not there yet.

But in the next couple of months.

We'll have enough supply for everyone who wants a vaccine to get one.

And when that happens.

Each of us is going to have to talk with our friends and family who are hesitating about getting vaccinated and could this and to do it.

Because the vaccine is our path to recovery.

It is the road to normalcy.

As of now this pandemic is not over yet.

We need to keep up our guard.

Where are mass and act responsibly.

That will save lives and continue to spark the economy.

We're close to getting where we want to be.

So let's stay the course and get there faster.

Also with me today is Stacey carless our executive director of the North Carolina counts coalition.

Our secretary of public safety, Eric hooks.

And our emergency management chief of staff will re.

Lee Williamson is our sign language interpreter and Jackie and jasmine Nativity are our Spanish language interpreters.

We also have with us our secretary of our Department of Health and Human Services doctor Mandy Cohen and we will call on her today to say a few words doctor Cohen.

Well thank you governor.

>> Governor Cooper shared thanks to the hard work of our vaccinating providers including vaccine supplies we're accelerating the timeline for moving to grew 4, 5, The rest of group 4 which includes those essential were additional essential workers and people living in other congregate settings such as student dorms will be eligible for vaccinations next week beginning March, the 31st.

This group includes a range of essential workers as the governor mentioned identified by the federal government such as people working in retail businesses energy plants banking financial services construction hotel sanitation, public infrastructure and others.

You can find a complete list on our website, your stuff, your shot your spot dot NC .gov.

Beginning on April 7th all North Carolinians ages, 16 and over will be eligible for a vaccine.

>> The accelerated timeline will allow us to double down on our fast and fair approach to getting people vaccinated.

North Carolina has been recognized nationally for its work to get COVID-19 vaccines to historically marginalized populations.

The CDC recently ranked the state in the top 10 for getting vaccines to vulnerable communities.

We've embedded equity into all aspects of our vaccine operations from how we determine who gets vaccine and how they may receive to get outreach and educational efforts to our work with the federally supported citing Greensboro which demonstrates that are intentional focus produces results.

We partnered with grassroots and community organizations on the ground in Greensboro.

Tully to lead on outreach and facilitate appointments.

We set aside half of those appointments in Greensboro for those trusted partners to schedule and as of yesterday, 22% of all vaccinations at the Greensboro community vaccination center have gone to black or African American population and 14% have gone to the Hispanic Latin X population.

Today we are announcing a new public private partnership to expand this work and the best practices across the state.

It's a program called healthier together which will be led by the NC counts Coalition to help increase the number of individuals from historically marginalized populations to make sure that they can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Healthier together will increase access to vaccine to historically marginalized populations by conducting outreach and education efforts coordinated local backs coordinating local vaccine events at trusted and accessible locations helping people schedule and get to that scene appointments, providing on site rent translation, services and helping to ensure people get to those second dose appointments.

As part of this initiative, healthier together will provide grants to community-based organizations to do this work and higher regional health equity teams to support community based organizations and their outreach and education efforts and to help match them to our vaccination providers.

These regional teams also will work with our department the Department of Health and Human services to ensure that the communities have the vaccine supply outreach and transportation resources they need to get people vaccinated.

The program is funded by the federal covid $19.

I'm very excited to have with us Stacey carless who is the executive director of the NC counts coalition and a recognized leader across the state.

The minute to Stacy to share a few remarks.

Thank you governor Cooper, and secretary Colin.

Good afternoon.

>> My name is Stacey carless 90 executive director at NC counts coalition.

NC counts Coalition is a nonpartisan nonprofit, 5 oh one C 3 organization committed to building a healthy just and equitable North Carolina.

They're cross-sector partnerships that advance systemic solutions for communities facing systemic barriers, including black indigenous people of color lgbtq plus low wealth and immigrants.

We envision in North Carolina where everyone counts it has a fair opportunity to reach their full potential.

Today is it is with great pleasure that I stand here with governor Cooper and secretary Cohen to announce North NC counts coalition partnership with the state to co-develop implement the healthy together initiative.

Healthier together.

We will begin working with the state to address and dismantle systemic and structural barriers to health equity.

Bali NC counts partnership with secretary Sanders and NC complete count commission to support a complete and accurate 2020 census count.

We began exploring ways to continue our partnership with the state to build an equitable North Carolina.

Our 2020 census partnership with secretary Sanders showed us how much we can accomplish together.

I'm excited to help you together allows us to continue our partnership with the state and build on stewardess annual census infrastructure.

Through this partnership we will continue to invest in our communities health and well-being to the expertise of state, regional and community partners led by serving bipoc communities to know the needs of their communities.

Best.

Over the next couple of months and see counts coalition will be building it see an expanding at grant program to support our work with the state and community-based organizations to increase the number of historically marginalized populations receiving vaccinations our work will support the state's ongoing priority to maximize the speed and efficiency of North Carolina's COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

While it's here it's with commitment to equity.

For the past year.

COVID-19 has exposed an exasperated racial and ethnic health disparities stemming from the history of exploitation.

This investment disenfranchisement and marginalization of bipoc communities.

Health inequities have plate bipoc communities for centuries and we cannot afford to wait another moment to address these inequities as precious lives continue to be on the line.

This is it.

This is the time.

Today NC counts coalition joins the Department of Health and Human Services in its commitment to help your together together we will build be healthy just and equitable North Carolina, where everyone counts everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

>> Thank you Stacey that was wonderful healthier together is another embodiment of our commitment to equity.

It brings together the expertise and relationships of trusted community-based organizations with the policy tools and resources of the state government to create a new partnership model to address vaccine and other health equities.

We continue to make great progress on getting people vaccinated I work though is not yet done so keep wearing a mask waiting 6 feet apart and washing your hands often while everyone gets a spot to get their shot.

Thank you governor.

>> Thank you secretary Cohen thank you Stacey thank you for the work that you did with the census and we look forward to healthier together.

We'll take some questions from the media if you can identify yourself and your organization will take the first question.

>> Our first question is from Tina Terry with wssc.

>> Thank you.

This is Tina Terry what wssc TV in Charlotte.

Thank you for taking my question.

Some of expressed a desire to receive the vaccine at their doctor's offices and to be able to talk one on one with a health professional that they trust about the vaccine is it a priority of yours to get more vaccine into doctors offices in the state.

And when do you foresee that happening on a greater scale.

Thank you.

>> We're continuing to expand the number of providers that we have including doctors offices.

One of the things that has prevented more of that is the fact that these vaccines particularly the Pfizer and Moderna to a lesser extent.

Have cold storage requirements they come in large packages.

So it is more difficult to get them to doctors offices so that they can administer the vaccines there with more and more of the Johnson and Johnson one shot vaccine that doesn't have such extreme as storage requirements.

We hope to have more people being vaccinated in their doctors offices and I'm certain that it's going to be more more a part of the plan as we get to that point that I mentioned earlier where our supply exceeds demand and we're going to be having to convince people to get this vaccine.

And part of that army of people that's going to do the convincing will be individual doctors and health care providers.

Then people trust so that's something that we hope that doctor Cohen can probably shed a little more light on that code.

>> Well governor we did a terrific job covering that and what I would say is that there are many doctors offices that are already participants in the program and while they may not get a direct allocation what we're seeing is a lot of partnerships amongst whether it's health departments are hospitals and what they do is they receive the allocation from the state and then actually are able to break down those larger quantities of vaccine that the governor mentioned and then allow some of our smaller practices to be able to administer those vaccines.

So that's happening more and more and we are on boarding more providers each and every week, thank you.

Next question please.

>> They have a follow-up Tina Terry W S or C. Thank you.

This week, the state of Georgia now that it will allow people as young as 16 to obtain a vaccine appointment.

Well North Carolina consider lowering the qualifying age for people in group 5 my understanding is that at this point.

We'll have to be 18 or older, thank you.

>> It will be 16 over.

Beginning on April the 7th.

There are certain certain vaccines though that people under 18 cannot get and I will let doctor Cohen talk about that a little bit.

>> Hi Tina, it's important for folks to understand that there's only one of the 3 vaccines that is currently.

Authorized for emergency use in those that are 16 or 17 it's only the Pfizer vaccine that is authorized for 1617 year-old that means the Moderna and the Johnson and Johnson are only for those who are 18 and up Pfizer is for its 16 and up as we go into group 5 we know that we are going to be opening up to that group and we're going to need to make it easier for those who are 1617 to identify which providers have the Pfizer vaccine so stay tuned to some updates to our vaccine.

Finder tool to make that easier over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you.

>> Next question please.

>> Our next question is from Michael Hyland with CBS 17.

>> Hi this is Michael Hyland from CBS 17.

You are moving forward with this super sport have a target percentage of the population that you think each get fully vaccinated for you to feel safe lifting mask mandate and other restrictions how far people that it's happening.

>> We've been discussing that and obviously we have just been working.

Tirelessly to make sure as many people as we possibly can get vaccinated and we're looking forward to the summer time we have a much larger percentage of people who are vaccinated we can have significantly fewer restrictions and return to normalcy but what's going to be required is as many people as possible getting the vaccine and there is some concern that we might have a large percentage of the population that is hesitant about it and they refused and that's why I mentioned earlier that we're going to depend on.

Doctors and ministers and family members and friends.

To push in control those who may be hesitant about getting the vaccine.

I'll let doctor Cohen talk about what numbers we want to hit I don't think we are there yet we want to work with the CDC and see what they say about it.

But doctor Cohen now recognize you.

>> Hi Michael so I want to point out the success that we have had so far I know we the governor mentioned earlier that a 3rd adults overall in North Carolina have already gotten at least one vaccine and if you look at those who are over 65.

Remember those are the folks we started vaccinating first over 70% have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine and more than 55% are fully vaccinated so we are really making quite good progress.

I think as we move through these additional phases we're going to be low as the governor said working with our CDC partners to understand setting some goals for us to make sure that we are getting as many folks as we can I'm very proud of the work we've done to be both fast as well as fair and equitable with the vaccines is why we've been getting national attention and I think that is going to help us as we look to the next number of months with supply increasing if we can keep up those tactics if we can use partners like Stacy and the healthier together program that I think that is a way that we can reach communities because we see that when we bring vaccine to folks and we really simplify the process, they know where to access it that folks are getting vaccinated so we're looking forward to continuing that work but we know we have our work cut out for us to make sure that we can vaccinate as many people here in North Carolina's possible.

Next question.

>> Follow-up Michael Hyland CBS 17.

>> All in all what you will about financial support and supply needs how much longer do you think it's going to be when supply of great people to be able to just go online instantly book appointments that have to wait days or weeks in the search across multiple websites trying to find a point.

>> Well candy we're continuing to see increased supply and the last White House call they told us that we hope to be getting more but I'll let doctor Cohen address that specifically.

>> I'm Michael thanks for that and as the governor said we are still trying to get a better forecast from our federal partners, we know we're going to get more supply but even as we look into this next week.

And we're going to get another delivery of Johnson and Johnson vaccines but even then we thought we would be getting more we're not getting quite as much as we thought we were going to get and so it is really hard for us to know exactly where supplies going to be over a period of time.

With today's announcement and accelerating moving to all adults on April 7th, I think as we move through that the April time frame understand what our vaccine supply is going to be I think we'll have better opportunity to be able to share where we think supply and demand will be as we move through that month.

Thanks.

Next question.

>> Our next question from dawn Vaughn with the news and observer.

>> Afternoons on long then or now and you better leave in discussing the vaccination numbers are benchmarked can you give us more transparency on.

>> The future restrictions will thing process going forward.

And it if there is a number or percentage and everyone wants a vaccine, unable to get one and you know there are 2 weeks post vaccination why they would still need to be under restriction.

>> A lot of that information is going to have to come from health professionals and the research that is done on regarding people who have been fully vaccinated then what they can and cannot do I'll let doctor Cohen address why what she has discovered so far and we know that the idea is to get as many people as we can pie as we can vaccinated and we know that what we want to do is to get to as normal a situation as we possibly can the doctor Cohen.

>> Hi Don as we think about easing restrictions as as we're going to do tomorrow.

We always look at that combination of metrics it's not just cases, but it's also our surveillance metrics it's how many people are in the hospital the president of tests coming back positive and the good news is our trends have been going in the right direction, but they are leveling is that's what we had showed so we do need to really keep an eye on that in addition, we're certainly looking at how many of our adults are vaccinated I caution everyone to remember even as good as these vaccines are no vaccine is perfect.

And that's why we want to get as many folks vaccinated to really get that viral level low in our communities.

And right now we also know not everyone can access a vaccine right now so give us the time to protect each other while we get everyone a spot to get their shot over the next number of weeks and months, thanks.

Next question please.

>> We have a follow-up Dunbar news and observer.

>> I think for the follow-up.

Are these and discussions or meetings between you governor Cooper and doctor Cohen and others.

>> And can you tell us more about that process outside with announced for the weekly press conference.

>> Discussions we talk with health care professionals we also when we're talking about he's in capacity, limits.

We talked to the businesses that are being affected in hear from them.

We've been talking with state legislators and getting their input.

But we mostly are looking at the data and making decisions upon advice of health professionals we've done that from the beginning and will continue to do that as we make decisions down the road, I'm very much looking forward to getting a large percentage of our population vaccinated.

And returning to a more normal time we hope that sooner rather than later.

That's why we're encouraging the federal government to get us as much supplies we possibly can and that's why we will be encouraging people who are hesitant about this vaccine to get vaccinated so we can get to normal and moving forward that it's faster speeds we can't particularly when it comes to our economy.

Next question please.

>> Our next question is from rose Hoban within the health news.

>> I thought thank you for taking our questions so you know we've we've heard a couple of readers said there's going to be places for local both are having difficulty.

Filling the vaccine appointment.

Are you starting to worry about there being more than that seen send a man.

>> So we certainly want to get to that point but we wanted to be at a time when more people are vaccinated it's one of the reasons why we are moving to the rest of group 4.

And while we're going to go ahead and move to group 5.

On April the 7th because we are hearing some from some providers that they can use more people coming in for appointments.

I think it's really important that we have to continue to work hard to get out into communities.

Convincing people who are hesitant trying to help people who are homebound people who may not have access to the Internet or may not think that this is so important.

Really going to have to keep working hard through this entire process to make sure people are being vaccinated and particularly when we do reach that point when supply it cedes demand.

And I this opening up the process more I think will help us with that you've got any comments on that doctor Cohen okay.

Next question please.

>> And our final question today from Brian Anderson with the Associated Press.

>> I got my own 2 questions for you this really quick for the governor of will you veto any budget passed by the General Assembly if it does not include Medicaid expansion.

My all about her.

>> Getting more health care coverage to people in North Carolina is certainly a priority.

Medicaid expansion is the best way to do that.

Everything is on the table this budget session I've agreed with legislative leaders that we want to put everything on the table and we hope that each side gets what it wants that we can work together to reach a budget that I can sign I want to do that I do know that if the budget is not right for North Carolina, I won't sign it in a veto it.

But it's not going to be dependent on any one particular issue.

Next question.

>> I governor can you still hear it there.

>> Yeah, yeah can now.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, I'm just curious couple other reporters and alluded to it.

One can the public expect to have a concrete goal of the percentage needed to be backdated before mandate can be left it and I know you sort of said that there are still those ongoing conversation, but one can the public expect to have a concrete goal.

>> I want to let you take them.

>> Hi Brian well we have the goal right now getting as many North Carolinians vaccinate is possible.

It's why we're accelerating the timelines I think our vaccine providers have done an incredible job being fast and fair to IRA getting national recognition for the work that folks have done.

And and a member has to be a combination of things that we look at certainly we want to see more and more folks be vaccinated we still look at those key for metric that we've looked at since the beginning of this pandemic and the amount of viral spread.

And we have to remember the wild card in all this is that the virus changes.

We have variance already it is likely that this virus will change more those are the kinds of things that we need to take into consideration as we think about what the future holds but what I can say is getting a vaccine is our way out of this pandemic and so we want to make sure everyone is getting vaccinated as quickly as possible that's why we're focused on this work, I'm happy that Stacy here that we can partner together to really reach all of the communities of North Carolina and that's we're going to focus on right now.

Thanks Frank.

>> Thanks everyone for being with us today, stay safe out there.