>> Good afternoon everybody, thank you for joining us today for our COVID-19 update.

As of today.

We have had 923,430 cases 870 new cases reported since yesterday.

982 people in the hospital and sadly 12,189 people have died.

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

This week is public health week.

And if there's ever a time to thank our hardworking and dedicated public health workers across the state.

It's now.

Your work has always been important.

But this past year underscored just how critical and heroic that work is.

Thank you for all you've done including sacrificing your own safety to save the lives of North Carolinians.

North Carolina's COVID-19 metrics have remained stable over the past month.

As we've cautiously ease restrictions.

Our percentage of tests returning positive remain steady in the number of hospitalizations has left.

This is good.

And our secretary of Health and Human Services doctor Mandy Cohen will share more about our numbers in a moment.

Although North Carolina remains in a stable position we cannot let our guard down.

This is especially true as we see rising numbers and other parts of the country and across the world.

This virus is still out there.

A new more infectious variants are spreading.

We need to continue to be careful and responsible.

I know that as summer approaches many people are curious about how things will change and what to expect.

We're consulting with health experts hearing from businesses and their needs.

And following the science and the data.

Soon we will be giving you a forecast of what to expect as the summer approaches and some of the things that we can safely do by July the 4th.

We remain focused on getting people vaccinated as quickly and as equitably as possible.

And continuing to slow the spread of this virus.

The more people we vaccinate the more we can safely do.

North Carolina continues to make progress on that front.

As of today more than 5.2 million vaccinations have been administered in North Carolina.

Almost 40% of our adults are at least partially vaccinated and more than a 4th of our adults are fully vaccinated.

Particularly important is that our most vulnerable population.

Those people 65 and over is gaining protection every day.

73% of them have had at least one shot and more than 65% of them are fully vaccinated.

Tomorrow group 5 becomes eligible for vaccine.

That means anyone 16 and older, you can sign up for a shot.

This is great news.

Because of the hard work of our providers and commitment of North Carolinians to take their shot.

We're getting people vaccinated more quickly than we predicted.

This will help us turn the corner on the pandemic even sooner.

But the work isn't over yet.

We have to keep a better safety measures like wearing our mask, especially indoors.

We have to encourage each other to get vaccinated.

If you know a loved one or friend whose has a dent make sure you talk with them about why it's so important effective and safe.

It's the key to saving lives and moving us forward.

And we all know that the most common side effect is pure joy.

I've seen that relief and sparkle in people's eyes that every vaccination clinic that I visited.

We're so close and every day counts.

Every time we wear a mask makes a difference.

Every person who gets a shot makes our whole state safer and healthier.

It helps move our economy forward.

We all do our part.

We put this pandemic in the rearview mirror once and for all.

At this time our recognize doctor Cohen to give an update on our COVID-19 metrics dot co. >> Thank you governor.

Let's jump right into the data and look at our 4 key metrics covid-like illness cases percent of tests are positive in hospitalizations.

On our first slide we look at graphs from people that look at a graph from people who come to the emergency department with covid like symptoms over the past year.

And you can see when looking at that yellow line we are getting close to our baseline which is good news.

Next we look at our cases since February and you can see our cases have leveled.

This is good news as other regions of the country are seeing increases in their covid cases.

We also look at the percent of tests are positive since February and looking at again that yellow line the percent of positive tests is level has been averaging around 5%.

And finally we look at day over day hospitalizations since February and you can see again looking at the L line that this trend is also level.

OK so here is where we are overall surveillance state is getting close to baseline to get a green check.

North Carolina trajectory of cases has plateaued and with those new variants the governor mentioned we need to keep our guard up cases does get a yellow line.

North Carolina's trajectory in percent of tests returning positive has been at or 5% goal this does get a green check and North Carolina trajectory of hospitalizations is level but still elevated it does get a yellow line.

Now let's look at what's happening locally on this slide.

You see our current County alert map.

We've added 2 new color category so we can show our continued progress.

We now have a light yellow that he represents a little bit white to show the moderate spread and green for low spread.

This is the first County alert map where there are no red counties and this is great news.

While the number of orange County's increase from 21 from a previous 17 close to half of the counties in North Carolina are yellow.

31 counties now fall in this new light yellow category or moderate spread and we have a Greene County Allegheny County.

Our fast and fair approach to getting vaccinations to people is really showing results and as of today, 39% of all North Carolinians 18 and older or partially vaccinated and a quarter are fully vaccinated and this past week 19% of first doses went to people who identified as black or african-american and 10% when 2 Hispanic Latin X and here in North Carolina.

We've gotten national recognition for closing that racial and ethnic vaccine gap that's been prepay pervasive around much of the country.

And lastly the vast majority of those at highest risk of serious illness from covid have been vaccinated as the governor said 73% of North Carolinians 65 and older have received at least a first dose and close to 2 thirds are fully vaccinated we're continuing our efforts to further reach those older adults, particularly those who are homebound.

Tomorrow we take another great step forward in our battle against this pandemic anyone, 16 and older will be eligible to get their covid vaccine.

All 3 vaccines help protect against this virus and prevent hospitalization and death.

Only the 2 shot Pfizer vaccine is authorized for 1617 year olds our vaccine finder at my spot that NC .gov provides brand information to help young adults find where they can get their Pfizer vaccine shot.

You can get more information about vaccines at your spot, your shot dot NC .gov.

These tested safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines will help us to get back in control of our lives and back to the people and places we love things like safely hugging a Grandma.

We're traveling to see vaccinated family or friends or having dinner with your vaccinated neighbors.

New guidance from the CDC says that if you're fully vaccinated you can travel within the United States.

As the governor noted, we did not get here by accident or progress is the result of North Carolinians doing what it takes to protect one another day in and day out.

And none of it could have happened without our public health workers and as mentioned it is National public health week so I want to give them a special shout out from me as well to all of our public health workers thank you thank you for the incredible work you've done to protect North Carolinians and save lives.

You witness devastating tragedy sacrificed so much and met the challenge each new day of this pandemic I'm grateful to each and every one of you, public health workers have saved countless lives by providing access to testing.

Getting mass of people helping businesses and schools and organizations implement best practices to slow the spread of this virus and I've been educating our communities about the 3 W's and now they're helping to get vaccines to everyone in our state.

Thank you for all you do that we're making positive progress but our work is not done yet keep wearing a mask waiting 6 feet apart and wash your hands well, everyone gets a spot to get their shot.

Thank you governor.

>> Thanks for your continued hard work talk Cohen also with me today is emergency management chief of staff will re.

Our sign language interpreters will be lee williamson Nicole FOX.

Behind the scenes has been hit here and Sarah areaand Reid and sorry our Spanish language interpreters.

How will open the floor for questions down and if you can then to find yourself in your organization.

We would appreciate it and we'll take the first question.

>> Our first question is from Caroline Hicks with wbtv.

>> Hi thank you for taking my question.

As we look at kind of where we began with the vaccine rollout and where we are with you know opening to the general public tomorrow, I guess I just kind of wanted to get your reaction then did you think that we would be able to do it this quickly and you know less than 4 months are kind of what are your thoughts as you look back at what we've learned over the last few months.

>> I think this trail of research and development of vaccines and the way they have been pushed out across the country and the world has been an amazing story.

You know I I give a round of applause to all the researchers and scientists many of whom were here right in North Carolina who had a part in vaccine development also in therapeutic development.

And the fact that the manufacturing his continue to occur and that we continue to increase our supply and the fact that these vaccines are so safe.

And so effective beyond anybody's prediction.

I think we're in as good a shape as we can be right now I don't think any of us had imagined that we would be in where we are with the number of people we've gotten vaccinated with the safe and effective vaccine.

We still have some more to do a couple more months of getting vaccines norms is going to be a very positive thing for our state and country in the world.

And we just got to got to keep at it a little while longer.

Next question place.

>> Our next question is from Richard Craver with the winston-salem journal.

>> Hello governor this is Richard krever with Alyssa settled journal have a couple questions for you all.

The first one is at this point are you all concern or have any concern about the reopenings of have happened since late February and I guess late March.

This means being a little bit of an uptick in positive test rates and hospitalizations in the last week or so no one to see Chelsea anything that may lend itself toward that uptick and then the second question is basically trying to get a sense for what your scene in terms of supply and demand that we had in the election point because I know locally here Forsyth County.

It seems like there's getting to be more subplot in the math.

>> So.

You know our numbers have been remarkably stable for a while and fortunately they have plateaued we're going to continue to watch them.

We would not at ease restrictions if we didn't think it was time because every day were vaccinated somebody new that's a positive thing.

I think we're pretty sure you quickly going to reach the point where supply will exceed demand and we're all going to have to flip it over to make sure that we are encouraging people to get vaccinated and that's going to be something that we're all going to play a part in.

Physicians family doctors ministers, public figures friends family members.

We all need to play a role in getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

The supplies continuing to increase we're going to have plenty of supply to get every person vaccinated who wants a vaccine and pretty soon.

We're going to be pushing encouraging people to get it because we we do know at some point we will hit that that peak of supply exceeding demand and we need to continue to push up the demand until we can get as many people vaccinated as possible.

Would you want to add to that Arctic.

Okay.

Next question please.

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

>> All right, this is Michael Hyland from CBS 17 I want us first last week you indicated there were some discussions underway regarding the potential for vaccine passports.

Can you give us an update on that which seems some Republican governors are tapering states come up pretty strongly against that concept of the last several days as that something you think the state should make available for people to use.

>> So we think that anybody who wants to get.

A record of their vaccine should be able to get that record.

And doctor Cohen I let her dress it that they are working now to finding the best and easiest way for someone who says hey I want to show a record of my vaccine.

We need to be able to easily get it to them and I think that's something that the state should do but I'll let doctor Cohen address at a little more specifically.

>> So as the governor said we obviously are collecting information about people's vaccination so that we can track to make sure they got their facts first shot and their second shot we just want to be able to make sure that folks can access their own information about that vaccine for whatever purpose they may need so we're looking at different mighty solutions to make that as easy as possible for folks, we know that there are a few states that have already done that we're looking at a number of vendor partners that we can work with them in the next couple of weeks again just to make things easy for folks to get their own information.

Thanks.

Next question.

>> There are follow-up Michael Hyland CBS 17.

And this question may be for doctor Cohen to keep that 18 to 49 year-old making up a larger share of the hospitalizations due to COVID-19 lately.

>> Want to get your take on what you think that's attributable to that just because because a larger share of the older population getting vaccinated is this due to behavior among younger people.

Why do you think this is.

>> Thanks Michael so yes, largely in North Carolina we've seen our trends be a very stable and so the cases we are seeing not surprising are going to be in folks who tend to be less vaccinated.

And to what what we know is that those over 65 or as we we went through in the data presentation are really getting vaccinated a high rate but we know it's our younger population that has not yet been eligible for a vaccine and starting tomorrow, everyone, 16 and up will be eligible for a vaccine.

So it's not surprising that this virus is going to be circulating amongst folks that are not vaccinated and that's why we need to make sure that we're keeping up our guard remember not only this virus still circulating but we are seeing changes in the virus itself that makes them more contagious.

I think North Carolina is in a good position and that we have less amount of variants that we're seeing in other states and that's why other states are necessarily seeing some uptick in their cases we're not seeing that yet but that's why we need to keep our guard up we need to continue to be doing the 3 W's but importantly, everyone needs to get a vaccine as quickly as possible when it is their time now starting tomorrow, everyone is going to be eligible, you know everyone is not going to get a vaccine tomorrow, but we encourage folks to start really making sure that there but not on their to do list making sure they're getting their point man in getting their their vaccine because the quicker we vaccinate everyone the safer.

We all are as a state.

Thanks.

That question.

>> Our next question is from the van with the news and observer.

>> I think fun time with a new server different different question for you about her budget proposal and the Capitol grounds I thought that you have the 2.5 million.

And there again for the African American monument on the ground and in that was derailed and in 2019 again last year want to know what the planet but that doesn't come through this year.

Again plan and then also you said before that you wanted the to fair that he is.

The battlefield or or historic site.

What would you like to happen with the ones that are that are in the Department of Edmond storage now and the space where they are or what would you like to see on the ground there.

>> Yet thanks.

I think there's a lot of support for african-american monument on the Capitol grounds we have put it in our budget I've heard a number of Republicans that have been supportive of it so we hope that it can be part of the budget proposal the final final budget proposal this year as to the Confederate monuments.

That are in storage now the historical Commission.

Will make the decision regarding those placements or know that they've got some several potential spots under consideration, but that's something that they.

They will be doing say.

Next question please.

>> Our next question is from Katie proud so with actually a Charlotte.

All right this is Katie profit was actually a Charlotte thanks for taking my call.

My question.

So going back to that point about supply exceeding them and I wanted to follow up on that real quick or state health officials at all encouraging residents of certain high-demand areas to go get back to you in other areas, perhaps counties where supply already exceeds demand.

I follow up to that is where where you seen the pie starting to outpace demand.

I get my County I have heard anecdotally that may be a more rural counties 32 to that.

>> Hi Katie Mandy Cohen to answer your questions so a couple of things on supplying him and I think there are certain pockets where we are seeing that there are more appointments available then there are folks to fill them and I would definitely encourage that we're we're one state together we want to get all of the folks in North Carolina vaccinated and so we're definitely encouraging folks to find a first available appointment that is near them that is accessible to them and to get their vaccine as soon as possible and I think it's a little bit different in different communities, there are certain ones where where we actually see lower rates of vaccination and we actually need more vaccine to go to those communities and more providers other places where we are definitely seeing that we've done a good job getting vaccine to those communities and we just need to keep up that pace, so it's a bit different in different parts of the state we monitor that with our data and with our allocation process.

We asked our vaccine providers each and every week what are you able to take on are you going to be able to commit to get this vaccine out quickly and can you get it out equitably to reflect the communities that you serve.

And so we are seeing a lot of partnerships develop we're bringing on more and more vaccine partners particularly our primary care doctors and so we know that there our folks who really want to have a conversation with there with their primary care doctor.

At before they get their vaccine.

So again more and more of our primary care doctors coming to be partners in vaccinations as well as more and more pharmacies so folks you know or are in the grocery store go into public search areas teacher or walmart now they'll be vaccine available there as well so I think as we move into this next phase we want to make sure the vaccine is easily accessible to folks it's in more places and so that everyone can get their vaccine as soon as possible.

Thanks.

>> Thank you.

I will say that I was at a general practice.

We're 6 doctors were practiced in gas Tonia.

They had been one of the providers that are giving vaccinations and they get to consult with people and just as they come in for something else that can say hey would you like to get a covid vaccine and a lot of their patients are doing it then as we get more and more providers involved in this this will help us with the hesitancy I believe because people trust their physicians and we think this is going to be important part of getting more people vaccinated.

Next question.

>> Next question is from Travis Fain with WRAL.

>> Thank you Travis saying with WRAL on continuing to get some calls from people who have trouble with unemployment benefits.

Glitches and letters that don't always make sense of people having trouble getting your identity verified that's a common complaint.

People waiting months for appeals even on seemingly simple matters.

Yeah, how big of a problem is there at this point in the unemployment pipeline.

And what's being done to address these cases now that the call you has reduced over there from the peak of last year.

>> Everyone over at the unemployment division is working extremely hard to get money to people over 10 billion got dollars has gone to hundreds of thousands of people.

They are taking every case seriously.

In fact.

I just issued a new executive order and the Legislature is just past new legislation that's going to help unemployed people find jobs so we're going to have a job search help for people who are getting unemployment.

The appeals process is tougher because lawyers are required to hear those appeals and I know that the division has been working very hard to hire more of them so that more of the appeals can be heard and that's an issue that they are still working on in need we need to get better at that.

But it's critically important that we get this money out to people as quickly as possible because we know a lot of families are hurting.

Next question please.

>> A final question today from La early with Carolina public press.

>> Good afternoon governor Laura Leighton Carolina public press, a button to revisit Michael question about.

>> Vaccination top 400 and you want people to have at that to their information.

But I guess is a distinction between not as.

A government mandated caught part of some sort that people are concerned about so just to revisit that it was very what you're seeing is on that mission passport.

>> We're working on ways to easily be able to provide a record of a vaccine.

Anyone who wants it.

Obviously you need to be careful with several let the civil liberties and privacy.

But we think that that ought to be available to anybody who asked for it and so the department is working on the best way to do that.

Understanding of follow-up.

>> I'm here thank you for that to my follow-up is about fresh look for her listening restriction.

You know we've heard various numbers about.

How many people in need to get vaccinated to get to herd immunity.

There a threshold number 4 where we would need to be a lesson to all of the remaining protection.

>> So we're going to continue to examine before data points that we look at every single day.

And follow on a week by week basis to tell us where we are we're going to look at how pervasive these variants are out there and whether there is any concern and the number of people better getting vaccinated and we are working now on a little and I prediction of where we think we're going to be.

Leading up to July 4th based on the information that we have Dow and when we come together and get that information to you know maybe next week some time we can present that be a little more definite about where we're going to be because we know people want to plan.

People who have venues and who hold concerts and all of that need to know about what kind of atmosphere they're going to have more capacity limits if any and so we want to try to provide a more of a forecast of where we think that is going to go.

The next couple of months and so we're going to be coming forward with that say.

Thank you all for your questions today and please stay safe out there.