Weather Briefing for Saturday, January 30, 2021

OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

Canadian high pressure will continue the dry and cold conditions for our region through Saturday. A moist cold front and associated precipitation arrives from the west Saturday night into Sunday, with some wintry precipitation possible once again mainly along and north of Interstate 40. Cold high pressure builds in by Tuesday and continues through Wednesday before another cold front approaches from the west on Thursday.


News Highlights



• Lowering of NC Flags to Half-Staff Until Sunset January 30, 2021 in Honor of Chairman Freddie L. Carter Jr. of the Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc. [LINK]

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are inteneded to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

• Keith Gill Drove the GameStop Reddit Mania. He Talked to the Journal. Trader known as DeepF—ingValue on the WallStreetBets forum helped turn the investing world upside down. “I didn’t expect this.” [CNET]

• GameStop short squeeze (this Wikipedia article is a good explainer article with lots of links to where you can find out even more information about what has happened and why this is happening [CNBC]





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General forecast through Monday Night


Franklin area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A chance of rain, snow, and sleet before 10pm, then a chance of sleet between 10pm and midnight, then rain after midnight. Patchy fog after 2am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 1pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph becoming calm by midmorning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-20s.

Highlands area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-30s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

A chance of snow and sleet before 1am, then sleet between 1am and 5am, then freezing rain and sleet after 5am. Patchy fog after 2am. lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the southeast 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of around an inch possible.

Sunday

Rain or freezing rain, becoming all rain after 7am. Areas of fog before 7am. High in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10mph in the morning shifting to come out of the southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no ice accumulation expected.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 2am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A slight chance of snow showers before noon, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between noon and 3pm, then a slight chance of snow showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s.

Otto area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

A chance of rain, snow, and sleet before midnight, then rain. Patchy fog after 2am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 1pm. Areas of fog before 7am. Highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm by midmorning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain before 10pm, then a chance of showers after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 40. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-to-upper 20s.

Nantahala area

Today

A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Rain, mainly after 1am. Patchy fog after 2am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before noon. Highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph decreasing to light winds out of the southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

Rain showers likely before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday

Rain and snow showers likely before 8am, then a chance of snow showers between 8am and noon, then a chance of rain and snow showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-20s.



HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today.

A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and rain may develop tonight. Some locations could see an inch or two of snnow and/or some ice accumulation. Road conditions could become ery hazardous, so try not to be on the roads overnight tonight and early tomorrow morning. The precipitation will most likely change over to rain Sunday morning. As colder air filters back into the area Sunday night, snow showers are expected to develop across the mountains and continue into Monday and Monday night. Additional snow accumulations will be possible during this time, especially in the high elevations along the Tennessee border.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]



COVID-19 in Macon County

Vaccine Appointments Being Rescheduled Due to Limited Supply

Due to inadequate supply of COVID-19 vaccine from NC DHHS, Macon County Public Health must reschedule first dose appointments. Those who have already scheduled appointments for their first dose of vaccine have been moved to the front of Macon County Public Health's COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List. Macon County Public Health will contact those on the waitlist as vaccine becomes available to reschedule your appointment. There are approximately 3,000 individuals on the Macon County Vaccine Wait List.

Macon County will be receiving 300 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state each week for the next three weeks. This number is based on population size in Macon County. We appreciate your patience in this unprecedented time. For questions, you can call 828-524-1500, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Regardless of which group you fall under, you can register for the COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List at https://gis2.maconnc.org/VAX/VAX.html. When the group you fall under is eligible for vaccination, a member of the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center will contact you to schedule your appointment.

NCDHHS updates its website to reflect the current group eligible for vaccine. You can view the site at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations. Macon County Public Health will update its social media pages to alert the public when the state and county advance to the next group of vaccination. At this time, Macon County Public Health and NCDHHS are not scheduling individuals for vaccination in groups other than Groups 1 and 2.

At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 PUBLIC SCHOOL CASES (January 28th)

Franklin High School-2


Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.


VACCINE DELIVERY
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published, or offsite vaccine clinics that may not be reported until the day after)

Category	Mon 01-25	Tue 01-26	Wed 01-27	Thu 01-28	Fri 01-29	Average
Vaccines Given	100	95	92	90	60	87.4
Current Inventory	120	230	140	50	0	108
Total Vaccines Given	2178	2273	2365	2455	2515	Not Applicable

Cases

2668 Detected
(+36 from Thursday and +169 from last Friday)

522 Active
(+9 from Thursday and -12 last Friday)

2128 Recovered
(+27 from Thursday and +181 last Friday)

18 Deaths
(unchanged from Thursday and unchanged from last Friday)


Testing

8741 by MCPH
+57 from Thursday and +261 from last Friday)

6998 by Others
(+31 from Thursday and +318 from last Friday)

15739 total
(+88 from Thursday and +579 from last Friday)

221 tests pending results
(-19 from Thursday and -59 from last Friday)

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Published at 5:00am on Saturday, January 30, 2021

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PRESS RELEASE: Moderna Provides U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Supply

PRESS RELEASE 

MODERNA 

January 26, 2021 at 8:04 AM EST

The company has supplied over 30 million doses to U.S. Government to date

Remains on track to deliver 100 million doses to the U.S. Government by end of March 2021

Remains on track to deliver 200 million doses to the U.S. Government by end of June 2021

Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today provided a supply update for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, reporting that 30.4 million doses have been supplied to the U.S. Government to date. The Company continues to work closely with the U.S. Government and to provide regular updates on supply and production. Approximately 10.1 million doses have been administered in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1.

The Company confirms that it is on track to deliver on its commitment of approximately 100 million doses to the United States government by the end of the first quarter of 2021, with 200 million doses total available by the end of the second quarter. All U.S. supply comes from Moderna’s dedicated supply chain in the U.S. On January 4, the Company announced that it increased its base-case global production estimate from 500 to 600 million doses for 2021. Moderna is continuing to invest and add staff to build up to potentially 1 billion doses for 2021.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 18, 2020 and Moderna began supplying to the government shortly thereafter. The U.S. Government has agreed to purchase 200 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine with options for potential purchase of 300 million additional doses.

About the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (also referred to as mRNA-1273) is an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 encoding for a prefusion stabilized form of the Spike (S) protein, which was co-developed by Moderna and investigators from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease’s (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center. The first clinical batch, which was funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, was completed on February 7, 2020 and underwent analytical testing; it was shipped to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on February 24, 2020, 42 days from sequence selection. The first participant in the NIAID-led Phase 1 study of the vaccine was dosed on March 16, 63 days from sequence selection to Phase 1 study dosing. On May 12, the FDA granted the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Fast Track designation. On May 29, the first participants in each age cohort: adults ages 18-55 years (n=300) and older adults ages 55 years and above (n=300) were dosed in the Phase 2 study of mRNA-1273. On July 8, the Phase 2 study completed enrollment.

On July 14, an interim analysis of the original cohorts in the NIH-led Phase 1 study of the vaccine was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. On July 28, results from a non-human primate preclinical viral challenge study evaluating the vaccine were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Results from the second interim analysis of the NIH-led Phase 1 study of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in the 56-70 and 71+ age groups were published on September 29 in The New England Journal of Medicine. On November 30, Moderna announced the primary efficacy analysis of the Phase 3 study of the vaccine conducted on 196 cases. On November 30, the Company also announced that it filed for Emergency Use Authorization with the U.S. FDA and a Conditional Marketing Authorization (CMA) with the European Medicines Agency. On November 30, the Company announced new data showing that mRNA-1273, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, remains stable at 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F), the temperature of a standard home or medical refrigerator, for 30 days. On December 3, a letter to the editor was published in The New England Journal of Medicine reporting that participants in the Phase 1 study of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine retained high levels of neutralizing antibodies through 119 days following first vaccination (90 days following second vaccination). On December 18, 2020, the FDA authorized the emergency use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in individuals 18 years of age or older.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is supporting the continued research and development of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine with $955 million in federal funding under contract no. 75A50120C00034. BARDA is reimbursing Moderna for 100 percent of the allowable costs incurred by the Company for conducting the program described in the BARDA contract. The U.S. government has agreed to purchase supply of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine under U.S. Department of Defense contract no. W911QY-20-C-0100.

Moderna has received authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine from regulatory authorities in the United States, Canada, Israel, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Additional authorizations are currently under review in other countries and by the World Health Organization. A summary of the Company’s work to date on COVID-19 can be found here.

AUTHORIZED USE IN THE UNITED STATES:

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 18 years of age and older.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not administer the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to individuals with a known history of severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.

Appropriate medical treatment to manage immediate allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. Monitor Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine recipients for the occurrence of immediate adverse reactions according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/).

Immunocompromised persons, including individuals receiving immunosuppressive therapy, may have a diminished response to the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.

The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may not protect all vaccine recipients.

Adverse reactions reported in a clinical trial following administration of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, chills, nausea/vomiting, axillary swelling/tenderness, fever, swelling at the injection site, and erythema at the injection site.

Available data on Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine administered to pregnant women are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy. Data are not available to assess the effects of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion.

There are no data available on the interchangeability of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine with other COVID-19 vaccines to complete the vaccination series. Individuals who have received one dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine should receive a second dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to complete the vaccination series.

Additional adverse reactions, some of which may be serious, may become apparent with more widespread use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.

Vaccination providers must complete and submit reports to VAERS online at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. For further assistance with reporting to VAERS, call 1-800-822-7967. The reports should include the words " Moderna COVID- 19 Vaccine EUA " in the description section of the report.

About Moderna

In 10 years since its inception, Moderna has transformed from a science research-stage company advancing programs in the promising-but-still-unproven field of messenger RNA (mRNA), to an enterprise with its first medicine having treated millions of people, a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across six modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio in areas including mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation, and an integrated manufacturing plant that allows for both clinical and commercial production at scale and at unprecedented speed. Moderna maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, which has allowed for the pursuit of both groundbreaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing. Most recently, Moderna’s capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use of one of the earliest and most-effective vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moderna’s mRNA platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, and has allowed the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and auto-immune diseases. Today, 24 development programs are underway across these therapeutic areas, with 13 programs having entered the clinic. Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past six years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding the Company’s anticipated schedule for the manufacturing and delivery of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to the U.S. government. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond Moderna’s control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, among others: the fact that there has never been a commercial product utilizing mRNA technology approved for use; the fact that the rapid response technology in use by Moderna is still being developed and implemented; the safety, tolerability and efficacy profile of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine observed to date may change adversely in ongoing analyses of trial data or subsequent to commercialization; despite having ongoing interactions with the FDA or other regulatory agencies, the FDA or such other regulatory agencies may not agree with the Company’s regulatory approval strategies, components of our filings, such as clinical trial designs, conduct and methodologies, or the sufficiency of data submitted; Moderna may encounter delays in meeting manufacturing or supply timelines or disruptions in its distribution plans for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine; whether and when any biologics license applications and/or additional emergency use authorization applications may be filed in various jurisdictions and ultimately approved by regulatory authorities; potential adverse impacts due to the global COVID-19 pandemic such as delays in regulatory review, manufacturing and clinical trials, supply chain interruptions, adverse effects on healthcare systems and disruption of the global economy; and those other risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Moderna’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in subsequent filings made by Moderna with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, Moderna disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on Moderna’s current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof.

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1 https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

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Macon County Reports Additional Death Related to COVID-19

PRESS RELEASE
MACON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH 

JANUARY 22, 2021

Macon County Public Health received notification today that a Macon County resident diagnosed with COVID-19 has passed away. The death occurred in Macon County and the individual was over the age of 65 with underlying health conditions. To protect the family ́s privacy, no further information will be released about the individual. This death brings Macon County to eighteen (18) deaths related to COVID-19.

Health Director, Kathy McGaha said, “We continue to be in the critical outbreak stage but, we can make a difference by being diligent in wearing a mask, washing our hands, and staying 6 feet from others. Continue to practice social distancing and limit your trips outside your home to help to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

The entire state of North Carolina is under a “Safer at Home” executive order, currently under phase three with masks required to be worn when social distancing cannot be maintained. Older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19; however, anyone of any age can become infected with this illness. Therefore, we ask that community members strictly follow the governor’s orders and continue to practice social distancing, as well as safe hygiene measures such as hand washing and frequently cleaning touched objects and surfaces. The public can monitor the different phases of re-opening and learn more about the restrictions at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/guidance.

It is important to make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources. For more information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus, which also includes future positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina.

MCPH regularly updates our Facebook page with accurate and current information regarding COVID-19; we encourage the public to check our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/MaconPublicHealth for up-to-date information.

Symptoms for COVID-19 are fever, cough, other lower respiratory illness (shortness of breath). If you believe that you may have COVID-19, please call the Health Department at 828-349-2517. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am – 5:00pm, until further notice.


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HCA Healthcare Helps Bring Surgical and Procedure PPE Mask Manufacturing to Asheville

PRESS RELEASE

MISSION HEALTH

New business will supply PPE Level 1 and Level 3 masks for U.S. Distribution

ASHEVILLE, NC, January 21, 2021 – Through a new joint venture between HCA Healthcare and A Plus International Inc., and support from the HCA Healthcare Mission Innovation Fund, LLC, production of personal protective equipment (PPE) will be brought to North Carolina through a new manufacturing center.

The joint venture will produce PPE Level 1 and Level 3 masks meeting American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for quality and safety starting in early 2021 from a manufacturing center located in Asheville. The joint venture will be co-managed by A Plus and HealthTrust, a global leader in purchasing aggregation and performance improvement for healthcare.

“Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the vulnerabilities in the global supply chain for critical PPE,” said Greg Lowe, President, HCA Healthcare North Carolina. “While HCA Healthcare has been able to secure the PPE needed for its 187 hospitals and more than 2,000 sites of care, this new PPE manufacturing center in Asheville will help ensure access to quality masks made domestically. Should there be a surge in demand similar to what was experienced in the first half of 2020, we will take comfort knowing that we will have the flexibility to ramp up production capacity to meet growing demand.”

“Onshoring the manufacture of these critical PPE products will benefit both the economy and long term public health of our region,” noted Clark Duncan, Executive Director of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County. “We’re grateful for the work and leadership of HCA Healthcare in locating the joint venture here in Buncombe County.”

“This new business not only benefits our local area with new jobs for skilled workers and decreases our dependence on overseas supplies, but it will further our support of caregivers on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19,” said Lowe.

About Mission Health and HCA Healthcare North Carolina

Mission Health, an operating division of HCA Healthcare, is based in Asheville, North Carolina, and is the state’s sixth-largest health system. Mission Health operates six hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, post-acute care provider CarePartners, long-term acute care provider Asheville Specialty Hospital and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit missionhealth.org or @MissionHealthNC.

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News and Weather Briefing for Tuesday, January 19, 2021 Updated Testing and Vaccination Information for Macon County

OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

A weak cold front has crossed the area from the northwest last tonight, and is expected to across the Deep South for Wednesday through Friday. Cool high pressure will then build in from the north for the weekend. More substantial precipitation chances will return to the region early next week.

News Highlights
(repeat from Friday)

Beginning today, January 19th, here is the new schedule for COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination:
Monday and Thursday – COVID-19 Testing 8:30am – 4:00pm
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday – COVID-19 Vaccination 10:00am – 3:00pm

Macon County Public Health is now registering individuals to receive the COVD-19 vaccination at two Call Centers as well as online. The options are as follows:

Option 1: Individuals may access a web link by [clicking here] and complete the form to include their last name, first name and email address. Once this information is submitted, Macon County Public Health will be able to upload the information into the state COVID-19 Vaccination Management System (CVMS).

After CVMS receives the submission, an email will be sent to the address provided allowing the individual to complete the registration process and set-up their password. Following confirmation that their registration is complete and their phase confirmed, individuals may call 828-349-2517, Option 2 to schedule their appointment once we begin vaccinating their eligible phase/group.

Option 2: Individuals may call 828-349-2517, Option 2 and speak with a representative who will get them registered in the state COVID-19 Vaccination Management System (CVMS) after completion of a brief questionnaire. Once the registration has been completed, an appointment will be scheduled. No additional steps are needed.

Option 3: Individuals may call 828-524-1500 and speak with a representative who will get them registered in the state COVID-19 Vaccination Management System (CVMS) after completion of a brief questionnaire. Once the registration has been completed, an appointment will be scheduled. No additional steps are needed.

Call Centers are operating 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday through Friday. As of this week, NC DHHS transitioned from vaccination phases to groups. In accordance with NC DHHS’s Vaccination Plan, Macon County is currently providing vaccinations to individuals in Group 2, individuals 65 and older regardless of health status. An updated graphic has been provided with this release.

Editor's Note: Macon Media has improved on the graphic by adding definitions of groups to the categories eligible to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. Click the image to embiggen it to a larger size or download the graphic to view it at the original size.

The entire state of North Carolina is under a “Safer at Home” executive order, currently under phase three with masks required to be worn when social distancing cannot be maintained. Older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19; however, anyone of any age can become infected with this illness. Therefore, we ask that community members strictly follow the governor’s orders and continue to practice social distancing, as well as safe hygiene measures such as hand washing and frequently cleaning touched objects and surfaces.

• A drive though COVID-19 testing clinic has been scheduled for the Nantahala Community today at the Nantahala EMS Base located at 1096 Junaluska Road. The clinic will be held from 10AM until 2PM or until tests run out. Persons may get a COVID-19 test regardless of their ability to pay and do not need to schedule an appointment. This is for TESTING ONLY. This is NOT a COVID-19 vaccine administration location.

• A Vaccine Clinic will be held in Highlands on Jan 20th [LINK]

• Macon County is registering people for COVID-19 Vaccination. [LINK]

• Beginning Thursday, January 21, 2021 Macon County Public Health in partnership with Macon County EMS will be conducting COVID-19 testing and vaccinations Monday-Friday, 8:30am- 4:00pm at the Macon County Department of Public Health [LINK]

• Video and supporting documents from the January 2021 meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners [LINK]




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General forecast through Thursday Night


Franklin area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Tonight Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Calm winds increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Wednesday Sunny, with highs near 50. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday Night A chance of freezing rain, mainly after 4am. Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Thursday A chance of rain or freezing rain before 7am, then rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Thursday Night A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-30s.

Highlands area

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the sest 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the west 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Wednesday Sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 25 mph in the morning decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph in the morninging hours and 25 mph in the afternoon hours. Wednesday Night A chance of freezing rain, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Thursday A chance of rain or freezing rain before 7am, then rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the lower 40s. Winds out of the west 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Thursday Night A slight chance of rain before 3am, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Otto area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds increasing to come out of the west 5 to 10 mph by midmorning. Tonight A slight chance of rain between 8pm and 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Calm winds increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wednesday Sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Wednesday Night A slight chance of rain or freezing rain between 2am and 3am, then a chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm by midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Thursday Rain likely, mainly between 7am and 10am. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 50. Winds out of the west 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Thursday Night A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 30s.

Nantahala area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the west 3 to 7 mph. Tonight A slight chance of rain between 8pm and 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wednesday Sunny, with highs in the lower 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday Night A slight chance of rain or freezing rain between 1am and 3am, then a chance of rain. Partly cloudy, with lows around 30. Light winds out of the southwest. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Thursday Rain likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Thursday Night A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s.



HAZARDS

Black ice is likely on area roads this morning, so please be careful if you must venture out before temperatures rise above freezing. Other than the potential for black ice this morning, most of the county will not see hazardous weather today.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th.

Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.

VACCINE DELIVERY
(The health department received its first shipment on December 30th)

Vaccines Given on 01/15/21 290
Current Inventory 280
Total Vaccines Given 530

COVID-19 CASES AND TESTING

Cases

2248 Detected
(+3 from Thursday and +221 from last Friday and +1037 in four weeks)

572 Active
(-50 from Thursday and +64 from last Friday and +391 in four weeks)

1692 Recovered
(+81 from Thursday and +292 from last Friday and +671 in four weeks)

17 Deaths
(+5 from Thursday and +5 from last Friday and +8 in four weeks)


Testing

5238 by MCPH
(unchanged from Thursday and +222 from last Friday and +444 in four weeks)

6297 by Others
(+50 from Thursday and +514 from last Friday and +1723 in four weeks)

14535 total
(+48 from Thursday and +736 from last Friday and +2167 in four weeks)

169 tests pending results
(-18 from Thursday and +31 from last Friday and -68 in four weeks)

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Published at 5:00am on Tuedday, January 19, 2021

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