Johnston, Sampson and Wayne Counties are all under an Excessive Heat Warning, effective until 9 p.m. tonight, and the rest of our region is under a Heat Advisory until 8 p.m. this evening. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, stay hydrated, and check up on elderly relatives or neighbors!
North Carolina reached 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases today, reporting an additional 1,268 additional cases for a total of 101,046 statewide. More than 1.42 million tests have been completed, and hospitalizations have declined for the fourth consecutive day. 1,086 individuals are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 and 1,634 individuals have died in North Carolina due to the virus.
As we begin a new week, here is a snapshot of the virus in the counties that make up the 7th District:
Bladen County: 487 cases, 5 deaths
Brunswick County: 947 cases, 11 deaths
Columbus County: 710 cases, 39 deaths
Duplin County: 1,768 cases, 35 deaths
Johnston County: 2,406 cases, 38 deaths
New Hanover County: 1,792 cases, 11 deaths
Pender County: 484 cases, 2 deaths
Sampson County: 1,305 cases, 8 deaths
Wayne County: 2,103 cases, 28 deaths
You can always find the most up-to-date statistics on the virus at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ website here.
Columbus County Schools is asking parents to fill out a survey to choose between 100% remote learning or some in-person instruction for the fall semester. Responses are needed by July 22, and parents can fill out the survey here.
The Environmental Protection Agency has an informative article on COVID-19 and how it travels through indoor air. View it here.
Here’s an article from the CDC about when it is necessary to wear gloves. For the general public, the CDC says wearing gloves is not necessary in most situations, like running errands. CDC recommends wearing gloves when you are cleaning or caring for someone who is sick.
The Pender County Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) to address school re-entry for the 2020-2021 school year. Members of the public can watch a live stream of the meeting here. For those that do not have internet access, the meeting will be streamed to the public at the Burgaw Middle School gym, as well.
One additional non-COVID item to note as well:
We got some good news for our region last week as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bipartisan ports and water resources bill that includes authorization for continued federal participation in beach renourishment project in Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure Beaches. More information about that here.
For today’s good news story, I’m highlighting George Alsberg of Wilmington, who just celebrated his 105th Birthday. George lived through the Spanish Flu pandemic, and when asked what it feels like to live through two pandemics, he answered “I’m not waiting for the third one.” Happy Birthday, George!
