- NEW CASES ARE DECLINING, AND FEWER PEOPLE ARE HOSPITALIZED.

BUT VACCINE SUPPLIES ARE SCARCE.

WE LEARN MORE WHEN WE TALK TO SECRETARY MANDY COHEN.

♪ - THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH US AGAIN SECRETARY COHEN WELL, THERE'S SOME SOME BRIGHT SPOTS IN OUR CONVERSATION TODAY BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF DAILY CASES IS DECLINING, HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE GENERALLY COME DOWN, PERCENT POSITIVE IS DOWN, TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT?

IT IS THIS JUST NOW WE'RE SETTLING BACK AFTER THE HOLIDAY SPIKE OR WHAT?

- WELL I AM PLEASED TO SEE OUR TRENDS STABILIZING A BIT, BUT I THINK WE'VE BECOME A BIT NUMB TO THE NUMBERS WE FORGET HOW HIGH THESE NUMBERS REALLY STILL ARE.

SO I WANT TO YOU KNOW REITERATE THAT I AM STILL CONCERNED ABOUT IT WITH MORE THAN 3,000 PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW WITH COVID.

BUT YES, I THINK WE'RE COMING DOWN AFTER THE HOLIDAY SPIKE AND WE EXPECTED THAT TO HAPPEN.

BUT WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT IS THIS NEW VARIANT, THE MORE CONTAGIOUS VERSION OF THIS VIRUS IS HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

AND SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL.

- LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS THE UK VARIANT RIGHT?

THIS IS NOT THE ONE FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

- THIS IS THE ONE FROM THE UK.

THAT'S RIGHT.

- MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE ONE FROM FROM SOUTH AFRICA IS EVEN MORE DEADLY - NOT DEADLY, BUT CONTAGIOUS.

- THERE ARE NUMBER OF VARIANTS THAT HAVE EMERGED ACROSS THE THE GLOBE.

SOUTH AFRICA, BRAZIL AND THE UK.

WE HAVE ONLY IDENTIFIED THE UK VARIANT HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THAT VIRUS IS MORE CONTAGIOUS AND POTENTIALLY HAS MORE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR SOMEONE WHO GETS IT.

SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THESE OTHER VARIANTS COULD BE HERE AND I THINK WE ALL NEED TO BE VIGILANT, PROTECTING EACH OTHER JUST AS WE HAVE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC.

- IF WE'VE HAD ONE EXAMPLE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEN WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THAT'S GOING TO SPREAD AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE AND MORE OF THEM.

FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT, HAVE WE EVERY SORT OF REACHED A PEAK INSOFAR AS NUMBERS OF NEW CASES AND PERCENT POSITIVE AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT?

CAN WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO DECLINE OR WHERE DO YOU THINK WE ARE?

- I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE POTENTIALLY REACHED A PEAK, BUT WITH THESE NEW VARIANTS WE CANNOT LET OUR GUARD DOWN AND I THINK WHAT SOME SCIENTISTS ARE SAYING IS THAT MID-MARCH WE COULD POTENTIALLY SEE THESE MORE CONTAGIOUS VARIANTS BEING THE DOMINANT VIRUS THAT IS CIRCULATING SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN TAKE OUR EYE OFF THE BALL OF PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.

BUT I THINK AS WE GET MORE VACCINE OUT TO PROTECT PARTICULARLY THOSE AT HIGHEST RISK OF OF BAD OUTCOMES FROM THE VIRUS AND WE CONTINUE TO PROTECT OURSELVES, I FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, BUT WE CANNOT LET OUR GUARD DOWN.

- WHEN WE VISITED COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THE BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER IS THE FACT THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING OUR SUPPLIES OF VACCINE OUT QUICKLY ENOUGH AND THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THAT.

WELL YOU GOING TO WORK ON THAT AND RAMPED IT UP.

I THINK YOU SAID LAST WEEK WE GOT 260,000 SHOTS ADMINISTERED.

WOW THAT'S A LOT.

SO WITH 95% OF OUR SUPPLY HAVING BEEN EXHAUSTED OR USED, WHAT HAPPENED TO CAUSE THAT RECORD NUMBER?

BETWEEN THE 2 WEEKS AGO THAT CONVERSATION AND THIS WEEK SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY HAPPENED.

WHAT HAPPENED?

- WELL, TOM FIRST FOLKS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY BUSY ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA AND I'M SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL AND PROUD OF THE HARD WORK OF ALL OF OUR VACCINATING PROVIDERS.

THESE ARE THE SAME FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS PANDEMIC FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW.

AND WE ASKED THEM TO SORT OF STEP ON THE GAS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE WERE A LITTLE BIT SLOW OUT OF THE GATE WITH SOME OF OUR VACCINATIONS AND WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT IF WE HAD VACCINE ON THE SHELVES AND NOT IN ARMS THAT WE COULD RISK HAVING SOME OF ALL THOSE VACCINES GO TO OTHER STATES AND NOT HERE TO NORTH CAROLINA.

THE GOVERNOR, MYSELF, NO ONE WANTED THAT.

WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY ALLOCATION OF VACCINE TO NORTH CAROLINA.

SO WE RALLIED THE TEAMS ACROSS THE STATE AND SAID WE HAVE TO TURN UP THE HEAT AND GET THOSE VACCINE OUT AND I'LL SAY OUR PARTNERS DELIVERED.

AND SO WE DID 260,000 VACCINES THAT WAS JUST FIRST DOSES IN ONE WEEK.

WE DID SECOND DOSES EVEN ON TOP OF THAT.

SO IT WAS A BIG WEEK.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS BECAUSE WE DON'T REALIZE THAT WE ACTUALLY GET A VERY LITTLE AMOUNT OF VACCINE WEEK OVER WEEK SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TO HAVE A VERY BIG WEEK TO CLEAR THAT BACKLOG BUT GOING FORWARD WE STILL HAVE A VERY LIMITED SUPPLY COMING WEEK OVER WEEK SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE A BIG SHIFT, WE HAD A BIG PUSH, LOTS HAPPENING, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT BE MUCH MORE MODEST AS WE GO FORWARD.

- SO FAR AS IT GOES.

THERE WERE SEVERAL MASS VACCINATION SITES AND OBVIOUSLY THEY PRODUCED DURING THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

BUT THIS LEFT HOSPITALS AND LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, COMPLAINING THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLIES TO BE ABLE TO FILL THEIR APPOINTMENTS AND SOME WERE ACTUALLY MAKING APPOINTMENTS AND HAD TO TURN PEOPLE AWAY.

YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE HEALTH DIRECTORS AND WITH HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS OVER THE PAST WEEK TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS.

WALK US THROUGH WHAT WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS.

- SURE I THINK IT'S FIRST IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED MULTIPLE STRATEGIES AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET OUR VACCINES OUT TO OUR POPULATION ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA.

SOMETIMES THAT'S GOING TO BE ALLOCATING TO ALL OF OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND VACCINE PROVIDERS BY POPULATION OTHER TIMES THAT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE USING HIGHER THROUGHPUT SITE WE'RE GOING TO NEED NEED A RANGE OF STRATEGIES.

THERE'S NO ONE SINGLE STRATEGY THAT'S GOING TO GET US OVER THE FINISH LINE HERE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT.

THIS IS NOT A ONE-WEEK OR A 2 WEEK ACTIVITY.

I HAD SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IT IS GOING TO BE QUITE SOME TIME UNTIL WE HAVE VACCINE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE SO WE'RE GOING TO BE VACCINATING FOR A LONG TIME.

SO WHAT I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TRANSITION NOW FROM THAT ONE WEEK BURST OR 2 TO ONE AND A HALF WEEK BURST THAT WE JUST DID TO CLEAR THAT BACKLOG AND NOW FIGURING OUT WHAT HOW ARE WE GOING TO MANAGE FOR THE MARATHON FOR THE LONGER TERM HERE, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK THAT OUT OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF WEEKS AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT MAKE THIS VERY HARD.

ONE IS WE REALLY DON'T HAVE CERTAINTY ON WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEEK-OVER-WEEK.

WE GOT GOOD NEWS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST YESTERDAY, BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S FIRST ACT, ONE THEY SAID WE'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE MORE VACCINE, NOT A LOT ABOUT 15% MORE THAN WE HAD BEEN EXPECTING I'LL TAKE IT, I'LL TAKE 15%.

- THAT'S 19,000 DOSES.

- THEY SAID WE'RE GOING TO GUARAN -- - YEAH ABOUT 20,000 MORE DOSES SO WE'LL TAKE THAT - THAN WE HAD, THAT WE WERE PLANNING ON, BUT THEY ALSO SAID WE'RE GOING TO GUARANTEE THAT FOR YOU FOR 3 WEEKS THAT HELPS US A LOT HERE IN THE STATE BE ABLE TO PLAN SO ARE WE JUST HEARD THAT LAST NIGHT SO OUR TEAM HAS TAKEN THAT IN WORKED LAST NIGHT, GOING TO WORK TODAY TO HELP GIVE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND STABILITY TO OUR PROVIDERS TO KNOW FOR THE NEXT 3 WEEKS WHAT CAN WE GUARANTEE FOR THEM AT A MINIMUM AND THEN USE SOME OF THE VACCINE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BALANCING ACROSS OUR STATE.

WE KNEW WE MADE A BIG PUSH LAST WEEK TO GET IT OUT QUICKLY NOW WE HAVE TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT BALANCE LIKE I SAID A MIXTURE OF STRATEGIES, SOME ARE GOING TO BE USING ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN EVERY CORNER OF THE STATE, SOMETIMES WE ARE GOING TO BE USING HIGHER THROUGHPUT SITES IN HIGHER POPULATION CENTERS.

SO I THINK YOU'LL SEE THOSE MIX OF STRATEGIES AS WE GO FORWARD.

- THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD THE PRESS CONFERENCE FROM THE PRESIDENT TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

TALK ABOUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT HOW MUCH VACCINE YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING AND THEREFORE YOU CAN GUARANTEE OUR PROVIDERS 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE BECAUSE HE IT HAD TO BE TERRIBLY FRUSTRATING, NOT KNOW KNOWING FROM WEEK TO WEEK ALMOST SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DELIVERED WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING.

- YEAH, WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING WHEN WE GET WEEK TO WEEK ALLOCATIONS AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THIS VACCINE VERY QUICKLY AND SO YOU KNOW WE APPRECIATE THAT PROVIDERS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET VACCINES IN ARMS QUICKLY AND THEY'RE TRYING TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS AND GIVE FOLKS CERTAINTY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET VACCINE IN AN UNCERTAIN ENVIRONMENT.

SO I CERTAINLY I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE OUT THERE AND I THINK THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND I WISH THIS WASN'T TRUE, BUT THERE ISN'T ENOUGH VACCINE TO GO AROUND AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THIS AS A STATE AND JUST BE PATIENT AS WE WORK TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF VACCINE OVER TIME.

- ONE OF THE THINGS THE PRESIDENT SAID WAS THAT THEY HAVE SECURED CONTRACTS.

FOR 300 MILLION DOSES OF VACCINE BETWEEN NOW AND MID SUMMER.

DOES THAT GIVE US SOME HOPE THAT PERHAPS MAYBE BY MID TO LATE SUMMER WE MAY BE HAVING THE SO-CALLED HERD IMMUNITY AND MAY BE ABLE TO SORT OF GO BACK TO RESUME LIFE?

- WELL, TOM I'M CERTAINLY HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE VACCINE SUPPLY COMING OUR WAY AND THAT'S WHY WE AS A STATE NEED TO BE READY.

WE NEED TO BE IN THE FRONT OF THE LINE SAYING WE'RE READY TO TAKE ON MORE VACCINE, WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GET IT OUT.

SO ALL THE PROVIDERS WHO ARE RAMPING UP AND SAYING I CAN DO THIS AND THAT AND YOU'RE NOT - THAT IS SO GREAT AND I HOPE THAT WITH THIS NEW SUPPLY OF VACCINE COMING IN THE FUTURE THAT WE CAN HIT THE GROUND RUNNING THAT THEY'LL BE NO DELAY FROM THE TIME THINGS COME.

NOW IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME THE VACCINE - IS IT GOING TO COME IN A BIG PUSH ALL AT ONCE?

IS IT GOING TO COME WEEK?

TO WEEK, I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED THE CERTAINTY OF SO THAT WE CAN PLAN INTO THE FUTURE SO WE CAN STAND UP THE KINDS OF SETTINGS THAT WE NEED.

I WILL SAY THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER PROVIDERS WHO CAN DO VACCINATIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN TAPPED INTO LIKE OUR PHARMACIES ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA.

WE HAVE SUCH A LIMITED SUPPLY THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO BRING ON ADDITIONAL PROVIDERS, BUT WE WANT TO BE THERE SO THAT THEIR TRAINED UP, THEIR ENROLLED, THEY'RE READY TO USE THE SYSTEM.

SO THE MOMENT WE HAVE MORE VACCINE WE CAN GET TO MORE PLACES SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE US SOME TIME TO GET THERE JUST BECAUSE THE SUPPLY IS SO LIMITED.

- JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE VACCINE AVAILABLE AND LISTENING BETWEEN THE LINES TO THE PRESIDENT, HE DIDN'T GIVE ANY TIME LINES ABOUT WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE GETTING IT.

HE JUST SAID BY EARLY TO MID SUMMER.

BUT IT RAISES THE QUESTION ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE REFUSING TO GET THE SHOT, HOW BIG A PROBLEM IS THAT IN NORTH CAROLINA?

WE HEAR IT'S BASICALLY WITH MINORITY COMMUNITIES.

BUT HOW BIG A PROBLEM IS IT REALLY?

- WELL, I THINK WE'RE SO EARLY IN THIS ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE I DON'T THINK WE'RE TOTALLY SURE YET.

I THINK THE PLACE WHERE WE ARE - WE HEARD BEFORE OR WE STARTED VACCINATING WAS CERTAINLY OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.

BUT I WOULD SAY THIS IS ALSO IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES.

WE ARE SEEING A RURAL URBAN DIVIDE HERE AS WELL IN TERMS OF HESITANCY AND I THINK WE JUST NEED TO KEEP ON THE TRACK OF GETTING GOOD INFORMATION OUT TO FOLKS THANK YOU, TOM AND OTHERS IN THE MEDIA WHO ARE PARTNERS HERE IN SHARING GOOD INFORMATION.

BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE THEM UNDERSTAND THIS VACCINE LEARN ABOUT IT, AND THEN TURN AROUND AND HELP TEACH THEIR COMMUNITIES ABOUT IT.

WE'VE ACTUALLY TRAINED HUNDREDS OF FOLKS ALREADY ON THE VACCINE BASICS SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE IT TO THEIR CHURCH OR THEIR COMMUNITY CENTER AND ACTUALLY ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINE.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE RIGHT NOW AND OVER 65.

WE'RE CAPTURING A LOT OF COMMUNITY FACES ON CAMERA AS THEY GET VACCINATED TO SAY HEY LOOK OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY OR GETTING VACCINATED IT'S SAFE.

IT'S EFFECTIVE.

IT CANNOT GIVE YOU COVID THIS CAN HELP US END THIS PANDEMIC AND TRYING TO MAKE HELP FOLKS BE COMFORTABLE.

- PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE FIRST DOSE OF THE SHOT ARE JUST ALMOST UNIVERSAL IN COMPLIMENTING THE PROVIDERS WHO ARE ADMINISTERING THIS, TALKING ABOUT HOW EFFICIENT THE PROCESS IS TO CHECK IN, TO GET YOUR VACCINATION AND THEN A WAITING PERIOD AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT, BUT IT JUST IT AS I EXPLAINED WHEN I GOT MY FIRST THOSE IT WAS LIKE A WELL ALL MACHINE, I MEAN THEY JUST HAD EVERYTHING REALLY WELL DONE AND KUDOS TO ALL OF THE PROVIDERS BECAUSE IT IS A PRETTY UNIVERSAL MESSAGE.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LONG HOURS THEY'RE SPENDING ON THE TELEPHONES AND WORKING ON WEB SITES AND TRYING TO GET APPOINTMENTS AND IT REALLY IS A STICKING POINT WITH PEOPLE.

THEY'RE VERY FRUSTRATED, EVEN TO THE POINT OF IRRITATING.

HOW CAN WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM?

IS THIS A CASE OF WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE ANSWERING PHONES?

WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY ON WEBSITES?

WHAT?

- I THINK IT'S THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE.

I KNOW THAT THAT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR BUT SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENTS AND FOLKS CAN'T GET FOLKS ON THE PHONE IS THERE'S NO APPOINTMENTS TO BE HAD RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE SUPPLY OF VACCINE IS SO LIMITED.

AND I RECOGNIZE THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING FOR FOLKS I DO WANT TO COMMEND OUR PROVIDERS THAT ONCE YOU GET AN APPOINTMENT THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE RIGHT IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND ARE THEY ELIGIBLE SO WE ACTUALLY STOOD UP A NEW TOOL THIS WEEK.

SO YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO YOURSPOTYOURSHOT@NC.GOV AND YOU CAN ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS TO KNOW ARE YOU ELIGIBLE RIGHT NOW IT'S PRETTY EASY.

ARE YOU 65 AND OLDER, ARE YOU A HEALTH CARE WORKER, BUT AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASES WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNEW IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.

WE'RE ALSO STANDING UP A LARGER CALL CENTER AT THE STATE LEVEL STARTING THIS WEEKEND TO HELP FOLKS NAVIGATE THAT PROCESS A LITTLE BETTER.

BUT TOM LOOK I THINK WE MADE A DECISION AT THE STATE TO SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO CENTRALIZED SCHEDULING AT THE STATE LEVEL.

WE'RE A STATE OF 10 MILLION PEOPLE, A LOT OF THESE PROVIDERS HAVE THEIR OWN SCHEDULING SYSTEMS THAT HELP THEM BE MORE EFFICIENT.

SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO ADD A LAYER OF MORE BUREAUCRACY TO THIS PROCESS.

SO I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S DRIVEN BY THE LACK OF A VACCINE SUPPLY AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH IT.

- BUT ANSWERING THEY TELEPHONE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SUPPLY.

I MEAN COULDN'T THEY AT LEAST HAVE SOME -- I MEAN WAITING 8 HOURS ON HOLD?

I'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE TOLD ME THEY DO THAT.

SOMEBODY CAN ANSWER THE PHONE EVEN IF THEY ANSWER IS 'I'M SORRY WE DON'T HAVE ANY SUPPLY' OR YOU HAVE SUGGESTED THESE PROVIDERS START WAIT LIST, AND THEY ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE REPORTING THAT THEY GET THEIR NAMES PUT ON A WAITING LISTS.

THE RESULT OF ALL OF THAT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE SO DESPERATE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT THAT THEY'LL GO ANYWHERE.

I MEAN I'M HEARING OF PEOPLE IN THE WAKE COUNTY AREA THAT ARE GOING UP TO THE VIRGINIA BORDER, ALMOST TO GET APPOINTMENTS.

WELL, WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS IF THEY THEN ARE ABLE TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT IN THEIR HOMETOWN, THEY GOT AN APPOINTMENT UP HERE IN HENDERSON FOR INSTANCE, AND THEY FINALLY GET ONE IN WAKE COUNTY.

BUT THEY DON'T NOTIFY THE PEOPLE IN HENDERSON THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN ANOTHER ONE RIGHT WHICH IS I THINK PART OF THE REASON WHY SOME OF THESE PROVIDERS END UP WITH SUPPLY LEFT.

- WELL, THERE'S A NUMBER THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO THERE I THINK WAIT LISTS ARE IMPORTANT HERE BECAUSE OF THE SHIFTING SANDS, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET MORE SUPPLY OF VACCINE, AND POTENTIALLY THERE'S NO SHOWS I THINK THOSE WAIT LISTS WILL BECOME IMPORTANT.

WE ACTUALLY JUST SENT VERY DETAILED GUIDANCE TO OUR PROVIDERS ON SOME OF THESE BEST PRACTICES THAT THEY CAN USE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY NOT WASTING ANY VACCINE AT THE END OF THE DAY.

IF YOU HAVE NO SHOWS AND YOU HAVE AVAILABILITY LET'S GET FOLKS IN KEEP A WAIT LIST OF FOLKS WHO CAN COME RIGHT AWAY.

SO I THINK FOLKS ARE -- WE'RE LEARNING THOSE LESSONS REALLY QUICKLY I THINK WE FORGET THAT THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST MONTH THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY IN THIS, I KNOW IN COVID TIME ONE MONTH SEEMS LIKE ONE YEAR.

BUT YOU KNOW I THINK FOLKS ARE LEARNING LESSONS RAPIDLY ON THIS AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ALL THE TIME.

I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT ANSWERING THE PHONE.

THEY SHOULD CERTAINLY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE PHONE EVEN IF THE ANSWER IS, 'WE DON'T HAVE AN APPOINTMENT RIGHT NOW'.

AT THE STATE LEVEL WE HAVE OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO THEM FOR PEOPLE REINFORCING THE PHONE LINES, IVR MESSAGES SO HOPEFULLY WE'RE IRONING OUT THOSE OPERATIONS.

- THE LOCAL PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION THAT COMES WITH THAT, ALSO SOME FRUSTRATION GOING BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF HAVING VACCINE LEFT OVER AND WE'RE HEARING STORIES NOW WHERE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS GET BROUGHT IN TO GET SHOTS BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THIS VACCINE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE GO TO WASTE AND DON'T HAVE A WAIT LIST TO BE ABLE TO CALL FROM - AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT SOME OF THE RECENT NEWS STORIES JUST REALLY HAVE TO GRAB YOU.

WHEN YOU READ THE FACT THAT OUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE DEALING ESSENTIALLY WITH 27% LESS BUDGET TODAY THAN THEY HAD IN 2010.

IF YOU FACTOR IN INFLATION AND POPULATION GROWTH IS THERE A MESSAGE HERE THAT OUR LEGISLATORS OUGHT TO BE HEARING ABOUT MAKING SURE AND AND KNOWING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE FUND OUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS?

- WELL, I THINK THIS ENTIRE YEAR OF PANDEMIC HAS TAUGHT US AN IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT FUNDING OUR PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE.

I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION, NOT JUST HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT THE KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO RESPOND TO CRISES LIKE THIS.

YES, WHEN YOU UNDERFUND A SYSTEM, YOU CAN'T EXPECT IT TO PERFORM AT PEAK PERFORMANCE.

YOU JUST CAN'T.

AND WE KNOW YOU CAN'T CHANGE OUT YOUR HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CRISIS, HOWEVER, SO I THINK FOLKS HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB GIVEN WHERE WE ARE I THINK WE'VE TRIED TO SUPPORT FOLKS FROM THE STATE LEVEL.

I THINK OUR LOCAL PARTNERS HAVE HAVE DONE INCREDIBLY HEROIC WORK BUT WE I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

IT IS THE END OF JANUARY IN THE MIDST OF TRYING TO GET VACCINE OUT THE TIME -- YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS MOMENT, WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT FOLKS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WHETHER IT'S WITH MONEY RESOURCES, PEOPLE RESOURCES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TECHNOLOGY, WHATEVER THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS MOMENT, BUT TOM I THINK THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION FOR US TO BE HAVING ABOUT FUNDING IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN ACTUALLY HELP US RESPOND TO A CRISIS LIKE THIS.

WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM.

WE HAVE LOTS OF POCKETS AND SILOS THAT DON'T WORK TOGETHER AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUT THAT TOGETHER WITH DUCT TAPE AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB.

WE HAVE VERY STRONG DUCT TAPE HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

BUT THAT'S NOT A GO FORWARD SYSTEM.

WE HAVE TO THINK THROUGH WHAT WHAT DO WE NEED FOR GO FORWARD SOLUTION.

THAT'S RIGHT.

- AND SO WE SHOULD EXPECT SOME SMOOTHING OUT OF THESE PROCESSES, PARTICULARLY WITH LOCALS BEING ABLE TO KNOW FOR A CERTAINTY HOW MUCH MORE VACCINE THEY'RE GOING TO BE HAVING AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 3 WEEKS AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL CONTINUE ON A ROLLING BASIS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME ASSURANCES, I KNOW YOU TALK WITH YOUR COHORTS IN OTHER STATES AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

HIGH AS THEY MAY BE, AND I COMPARE THEM TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA, I MEAN GEORGIA, FLORIDA, SOME OF THESE OTHER STATES, WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO WHY OUR NUMBERS ARE BETTER?

- I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD FOR A YEAR TOM ON THIS PANDEMIC TO USE THE SCIENCE AND THE DATA TO DRIVE OUR DECISION-MAKING AND THE THE NUMBERS SHOW OUR SUCCESS WE'VE HAD LESS DEATHS LESS CASES WE'VE NEVER OVER STRETCHED OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY THOUGH THESE LAST FEW WEEKS WERE VERY TIGHT.

WE'VE NEVER NEEDED TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS LIKE OTHER STATES DID WHERE THEY WERE FLYING PEOPLE OUT OF THE STATE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GET CARE, YOU KNOW I THINK WE'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB, IT'S BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE FOLLOWED THAT SCIENCE AND THE DATA AND WE'LL KEEP KEEP DOING THAT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN PROTECT EACH OTHER.

- WE'RE HEARING MORE AND MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT GETTING OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.

WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM A LOT OF THE TEACHERS AND STAFF THAT THEY JUST DON'T FEEL SAFE.

SHOULD WE BE MOVING OUR TEACHERS AND AND AND SCHOOL STAFF UP THE LADDER SO FAR AS PRIORITIES FOR GETTING SHOTS ARE CONCERNED?

- WELL TEACHERS ARE NEXT UP THERE.

THEY ARE FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHICH IS THE NEXT GROUP OF FOLKS TO GET VACCINATED IT'S TEACHERS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS THEY'RE THE NEXT ONES UP AFTER WE GET A BIT MORE THROUGH ARE 65 AND UP SO THEY ARE NEXT.

BUT YOU KNOW SOME GOOD NEWS THAT WE'VE SEEN COME OUT ABOUT SCHOOLS.

THAT SOME STUDIES SHOWING THAT THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN MUCH VIRAL SPREAD IN THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES.

ACTUALLY WHEN FOLKS GET COVID THEY'RE GETTING IT FROM OTHER PLACES, THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT PICKING IT UP AT SCHOOL.

SOMETIMES THEY BRING IT TO THE SCHOOL BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY WHEN FOLKS ARE FOLLOWING THE VERY IMPORTANT PROTOCOLS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE WERE NOT SEEING THAT VIRAL SPREAD.

THE STRAIN WE'RE SEEING IS THAT TEACHERS AND STAFF LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ARE GETTING EXPOSED TO THIS VIRUS IN THEIR THEIR LIVES, - [TOM] AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE --- - BUT THEN THEY THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE TO TEACH AND THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO BE ABLE TO STAY OPEN AND HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO COME IN PERSON, I THINK THAT'S THE TENSION WE'RE IN AT THIS MOMENT.

- WE'VE GOT ABOUT 2 MINUTES LEFT.

WHERE DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS?

GIVE US A SHORT TERM FORECAST FOR WHERE YOU SEE US GOING.

- WELL, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE THE STABILIZING IN OUR TRENDS.

I DO THINK THE WINTER CONTINUES TO BE A HARD TIME AND NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS MORE CONTAGIOUS VARIANT, I THINK THE NEXT 6 TO 8 WEEKS WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT ABOUT OUR 3 W'S, WE GOT TO GET ALL VACCINES IN ARMS EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

WE CAN'T BE HOLDING ON TO ANY OF THAT VACCINE.

GOT TO GET IT OUT, GOT TO PROTECT FOLKS AND SO I THINK BY THAT TIME THAT WE ARE GETTING INTO THE SPRING I HOPE TO SEE OUR NUMBERS STABILIZE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS BE VACCINATED AND THAT MAYBE WE START TO SEE THE TURN OF THIS PANDEMIC.

SO YOU KNOW I SEE VERY MUCH THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS TUNNEL COMING HERE, BUT REMEMBER I THINK IT'S THE SUMMER.

I THINK IT'S THE SUMMER WHEN WHEN THINGS ARE GOING TO BE AND FEEL DIFFERENT SO I DO THINK AS WE GET THROUGH THIS WINTER EARLY SPRING, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF BE WHERE WE ARE FOR THE MOMENT, SO BE PATIENT.

- YEAH, IT'S LIKE THE FELLOW WHO PRAYS AND HE SAYS "LORD GIVE ME PATIENCE AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW."

[LAUGHING] THERE'S A HOPEFUL MESSAGE HERE AND THAT SOUNDS VERY GOOD.

SECRETARY WE ALWAYS LEARN SO MUCH FROM TALKING WITH YOU AND WE THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.

PEOPLE CONSTANTLY TALK TO ME AND SAY, "YOU KNOW WHEN SHE TALKS, I CAN UNDERSTAND.

I CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING."

SO WE THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT YOU GIVE US AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU IN ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS.

SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE GOOD NEWS BY THE TIME THAT ROLLS AROUND AND A LOT MORE SHOTS BY THAT TIME.

SO WE THANK YOU AGAIN AND BY THE WAY WE WANT TO TELL OUR VIEWERS WHAT'S GOING ON NEXT WEEK ON COVID UNCOVERED.

- EVEN THE DOCTORS WERE TELLING ME ALL THE TIME, "YOU'RE 29, YOU'RE HEALTHY, YOU EXERCISE REGULARLY, WE HAVEN'T SEEN MANY PATIENTS LIKE YOU HERE."

- [DAVID HURST] IT WAS A CASE THAT EVEN SURPRISED DOCTORS.

WE HEAR ABOUT THE MIRACULOUS RECOVERY OF A 29-YEAR-OLD NORTH CAROLINA MAN WHO SUFFERED COMPLICATIONS FROM COVID-19.

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