“Light at the end of the tunnel”: As the number of cases of Covid-19 decreases, 3 millennials want a better day

For Daisha Haynesworth, the recent decline in Covid-19 cases and the increase in vaccine supply in North Carolina “is like the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Haynesworth, 28, said he was looking forward to the day when he could invite more friends to dinner, but for now, Ohio natives are still worried.

“Hello, you [traveled] Last week I don’t want to hang out with you, “she said. “I think that’s what I made very clear to my group of friends.”

More than 365 days have passed since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in North Carolina. Since then, nearly 875,000 cases have been medically confirmed in the state, and more than 11,535 people have died of infectious diseases throughout the state.

However, state health officials are cautiously optimistic. Since its peak in January, the average number of new cases reported daily has dropped significantly. So is the number of deaths and hospitalizations that result.

Last week, state health officials moved Mecklenburg County to the state’s “yellow” layer. Covid alert system, Shows “significant” spreads — an improvement over the previous “orange” layer, which shows “substantial” spreads.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, North Carolina’s Secretary of Health and Welfare, attributed the decline in the number of states to several factors, including an increase in the number of people vaccinated. As of noon on Sunday, the state reported that about 1.8 million people had received at least one anticovid vaccine.

“We are happy with the improvement in trends, but we still have more work to do to protect each other,” Cohen said in a statement.

Young people in North Carolina are generally not yet eligible for the vaccine, but Haynesworth is pleased that qualified people have decided to get their dose.

“We were worried about it, so we were really worried that people wouldn’t get it,” she said. “But many seem to be willing to vaccinate.”

The state is currently directing vaccination to people over the age of 65, those working in education / childcare, healthcare professionals, and those whose work is considered “essential”, regardless of age. Later this month, the state will begin vaccination of people in critical health.

Vincent Durham, a 33-year-old realtor, said he was ready to get things back to normal for visiting family and friends. Until then, Durham stays on the course and sticks to not being in many public places. He also said he was worried that relaxing the restrictions could make people happy.

Durham said he was strict about staying out and adhering to social distance guidelines. He said he knew people who died or became severely ill in Covid-19. He also said he had friends in the medical field and was talking about people who didn’t go to the hospital.

Christina Pickett, 28, said she was encouraged by the decline in numbers, but said people should still be careful to avoid a surge in incidents. North Carolina experienced one of the highest Covid-19 surges shortly after Christmas holidays when more people were told they were traveling and socializing.

Pickett said it was okay to go out, but just in case, he said he would double the mask, disinfect it, and not stay in many places for more than 10 to 15 minutes.

Pickett is currently not eligible for vaccination, but she said she was looking forward to when she could.

More supply, more weapons

With the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine currently in North Carolina and two other vaccines already in place, healthcare providers hope to further delay the spread of Covid-19.

“There are still many people who need to be vaccinated,” Gary Little, chief medical officer in the Charlotte area of ​​Atrium Health, said at a media briefing on Monday. “We’re just trying to match these wave of eligibility with the availability of vaccines. Fortunately, we were able to keep up with most of it.”

Atrium is vaccinated more, but for most people it can take months to book one of the permanent locations in the atrium, Little said. That’s why he recommends mass vaccination events that have captivated thousands of people.

The next vaccination event will be held at this month’s atrium.

• From 7:30 am to 3:00 pm at Bank of America Stadium on March 9, 10 and 11
• Johnson C. Smith College from 8am to 4pm on March 13th and 14th