news
Haywood vaccinations surge, other counties lag BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER he number of Haywood County residents receiving a first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine jumped by 45 percent between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, but vaccinations increased much more slowly over the same period in other mountain counties. So far, 11.9 percent of Haywood County’s estimated population has received a first dose, as compared to 7.5 percent of Macon’s, 7.9 percent of Swain’s and 5.8 percent of Jackson’s, according to Feb. 1 numbers on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services website and 2019 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Statewide, 7.6 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose. Allison Richmond, public information officer for Haywood’s Emergency Management Team, said the county’s success is due to intense collaboration and a drivethru vaccination model that was first developed last spring for COVID-19 testing. “It’s truly a community effort,” she said. “Coming together, putting all the egos aside and working on one common purpose is what we find we’re doing really well. We’re getting some requests for, ‘How do we do this
February 3-9, 2021
T
over here?’ It feels good to have brought all those resources together and to have been able to serve the community this way.” Haywood County has been holding two vaccination clinics each week at the Smoky Mountain Event Center, formerly known as the fairgrounds, last week vaccinating 2,000 people at those clinics. The Haywood County Department of Health and Human Services received 500 first doses last week, not 2,000, but for the past couple weeks it’s been pooling its allotment with the Haywood Regional Medical Center to deploy all first doses at collaborative vaccination events. The county expects to receive a smaller number of doses this week and for that reduced allotment to continue for the next few weeks as the state allocates resources to much larger vaccination events in the state’s urban centers. However, Haywood expects to have nearly all of its 75 and older age group vaccinated in the next few weeks and will then move on to people 65 and older. Over in Jackson County, meanwhile, the number of first doses increased by just 151 between Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, mainly due to the fact that the county’s health department received only 100 doses last week while Harris Regional Hospital got
F
A pair of recently vaccinated plateau residents share why they decided to get the shot. Highlands Cashiers Plateau COVID Vaccine Initiative photo
Get vaccinated For information about vaccination opportunities in your county, visit the county health department’s website. • Haywood County: www.haywoodcountync.gov/684/COVID-19-Information • Jackson County: health.jacksonnc.org/covid19 • Swain County: www.swaincountync.gov/covidResponse.html • Macon County: www.maconnc.org/covid-19.html • Statewide stats: www.covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations
Romantic Valentine’s Dinner
:
Saturday, February 13 $ 64.99 per person plus Tax & Gratuity Reservations Required at
828.452.6000 SALAD Spinach, Strawberries, Slivered Almonds, Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
Smoky Mountain News
ENTREE Salmon Fillet with Blackberry Gastrique OR Stuffed Bone-in Pork Chop (Entrées served with Sweet Peas with Tarragon Vinaigrette)
DESSERT Chocolate Truffle Torte with Raspberry Coulis
Evening Entertainment by
Guitarist Kevin Lorenz THE CLASSIC
12
828.452.6000 20 Church St. • Waynesville
