RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper urged North Carolina residents to test for COVID-19 before holiday gatherings Monday, noting the dangerous surge in cases caused by the omicron variant.
Cooper repeated his calls for vaccine boosters — a third shot if they’d previously gotten two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a second shot if they’d previously gotten one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“When I think of things I’m grateful for this Christmas,” Cooper said, “this vaccine is a big one.”
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the outgoing Secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said omicron is four to six times as contagious as the original virus and will likely set record-high caseloads. She said people should travel only if they are fully vaccinated and boosted and to get tested a few days in advance.
“I imagine that many of you, like me, are frustrated to head into this holiday season under the shadow of this virus,” she said. “It’s urgent to protect yourself and your family and friends.”
A recent study suggests omicron could trigger a spike so significant that hospital cases will pass the state’s totals during the pandemic’s peak in January.
This month, the state has seen the number of patients hospitalized with COVID rise from 1,214 to 1,630 — a 34% increase. The study says those numbers could increase sixfold unless vaccination boosters increase.
The variant’s spread has already reached the Triangle as Durham County reported six confirmed cases, and Orange County reported its first last week.
There are 451 cases per 100,000 people among unvaccinated people compared to 134 cases among vaccinated people and 48 cases among those who have gotten the booster, according to late November data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite omicron’s spread, delta remains the dominant COVID-19 variant circulating in the United States, according to the CDC. As of Monday, omicron had reached all but five states.
Both Cooper and the CDC stress vaccinations, particularly booster shots for eligible people, as the most effective way to combat the pandemic’s ongoing threat.
“Many people are going to get infected, including some who are vaccinated, but the most important difference between the vaccinated and unvaccinated is how sick you get,” Cooper said. “The evidence is clear that vaccinated and especially boosted people are so much safer.”
As of Monday, 58% of the state is fully vaccinated, according to the NC DHHS dashboard.
Duke University will require COVID booster shots for all students and employees after winter break, The News & Observer reported earlier Monday. The private college in Durham begins its spring semester Jan. 5.
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