BURLINGTON: The City of Burlington has implemented a boil water notice due to E. Coli/fecal coliform bacteria found at a specific location in the city of Burlington water system.

E. coli/fecal coliform bacteria can cause illness for individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of E. coli infection may vary, but could include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting.

City of Burlington has advised that residents should boil their drinking water until further notice. Additionally, the State of North Carolina advises impacted residents to boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation) or use bottled water. Residents should boil their water for at least one minute; this should help kill any disease-causing organisms that are potentially present in the water.

With a positive E.coli, those businesses permitted by the Health Department, restaurants, lodging and tattoo parlors, and are customers of the city of Burlington must suspend operations until the boil water notice is lifted and post event procedures are followed.

For general guidelines on how to lessen the risk of infection contact the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-479. Any questions or concerns regarding food and lodging facilities can be addressed by calling 336-290-0653. Alamance County Environmental Health has a hotline available to assist.

City of Burlington residents can contact the City of Burlington’s Customer Service Line at 336-222-5100 or monitor the City’s website at www.BurlingtonNC.gov/Water.

The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law March 11, 2021 by President Biden, provides states with the option to temporarily expand WIC’s nutrition support by increasing the monthly Cash Value Benefit (CVB) to $35 for children and women (not infants).  The NC WIC Program opted-in for this temporary increase for the months of June, July, August and September.

The Alamance County WIC office will ensure that eligible, active participants receive the increase.  There is no action that the participants need to take if they are currently active in the program.  Current WIC participants and those who may be WIC-eligible should contact the office if they have any questions about exactly what date their increase will occur or how they can enroll in the program.

The WIC (The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program Women, Infants, and Children) program provides supplemental nutrition (healthy foods), nutrition education, breastfeeding support and community or healthcare referrals for women who: are pregnant, have had a baby in the last 6 months, or are breastfeeding and have had a baby in the last 12 months, as well as infants and children up to 5 years of age. To be eligible, the child or mother must: live in the state of North Carolina, live in a household with an income at or below 185% of the Federal poverty income guidelines, and have a nutrition-related problem or be at risk of developing a nutrition-related problem. The pregnant women, post-partum women and children mentioned above who receive Medicaid or Food and Nutrition Services (SNAP) meet the WIC income eligibility criteria.  Alamance County WIC currently serves more than 4,000 participants.

The Alamance County WIC office is located at 319 N. Graham-Hopedale Rd., Burlington, NC, 27217.  Please call 336-570-6745 with inquiries or to schedule an appointment.  Due to COVID-19 waivers for the NC WIC Program, appointments are currently conducted over the telephone, which means the phone lines may be busy.  Please leave a voice message with your name and telephone number if indicated. The clinic is open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm. WIC also offers appointments during lunch hours (open 12-1pm).  You may also visit the WIC website at www.nutritionnc.com to learn more about WIC.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

On April 27, the North Carolina State Lab of Public Health in Raleigh confirmed Alamance County’s second case of rabies for the year.

On April 26, Alamance County Animal Control was notified of a bat that was retrieved from a pool on Dixon Road in Graham. Alamance County Animal Control sent the bat to the North Carolina State Lab for rabies testing where it was found to be positive. The Health Department did identify two human exposures to the animal, and recommended immediate post-exposure treatment for these individuals.

If you live in this area and have outside pets, the Health Department encourages you to examine them for any wounds that may have come from contact with this bat and notify Alamance County Animal Control at 336-570-6302, or the Health Department’s Environmental Health office at (336) 570-6367 if you have questions or concerns.

Many bat species use man-made structures such as buildings and bridges to complement their selection of natural roosts. During the months of May through August bats are a protected species and cannot be removed from their roosting location. Exclusion of bats can be done when temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees and any months other than May through August. If you find a bat in your home or a building structure, close off the area where the bat is located and safely exit the premises. You should contact your local Animal Control agency. If you think you may have multiple bats or an infestation in your home, contact a wildlife nuisance abatement company; bats should never be directly handled.

It is North Carolina law that cats and dogs be vaccinated against rabies. The first vaccination should occur when the dog or cat is no more than 4 months of age; the second vaccination is required no more than a year later and then again every three years.

If you are bitten by any animal:

• Wash the wound with soap and running water for ten (10) minutes and seek medical attention immediately.
• Write down the location of the animal and a description of the animal to provide to animal control.  If the animal is someone’s pet, also get the owner’s name and address.  Give this information to animal control or the health department.
• Do not try to catch any wild or stray animal

Last year, Alamance County had three confirmed animal cases of rabies.

For more information or questions about rabies control and vaccinations requirements, contact the Health Department’s Environmental Health office at (336) 570-6367.

Community needs and demands regarding COVID-19 vaccinations are changing; however, there is still a large segment of the county population that has yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. In order to address this, Alamance County Health Department is planning to host mobile vaccination events in the community and are looking for the assistance of community partners to help vaccinate more people. Area businesses, churches, civic, and nonprofit organizations that are interested in partnering with the Health Department should email their contact information to VaccinateAlamance@alamance-nc.com.

On May 22, the Eric Lane site will close after the last scheduled COVID-19 vaccination appointment is completed, and COVID-19 vaccinations will no longer be offered at this site. Beginning May 26, COVID-19 vaccinations will be offered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Alamance County Health Department, which is located at 319 North Graham-Hopedale Road. Vaccinations are available to anyone age 16 or older, and identification and insurance are not required. While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are preferred for faster service and can be made by visiting VaccinateAlamance.com or by calling 336-290-0650 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for personal scheduling assistance.

Persons needing transportation assistance to and from the Health Department for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment can call Alamance County Transportation Authority (ACTA) at 336-222-0565 or Link Transit at (336) 222-LINK (5465) for information on schedules and routes.

The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media. 

Alamance County Health Department has identified a COVID-19 cluster at Hillcrest Elementary in Burlington. Currently, five (5) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among four (4) staff and one (1) child. The cases will be included on the biweekly Child Care and School Settings report for NC DHHS. NC DHHS defines a cluster as minimum of five laboratory-confirmed cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.

“Alamance-Burlington Schools relies heavily on the expert health and safety guidance provided by ACHD staff,” remarked Bruce Benson, ABSS Superintendent. “We sincerely appreciate their public health expertise as our schools continue to navigate the complexities of the covid-19 virus. Our ability to open and operate schools successfully is a tribute to the strong leadership and experience of our local health department professionals.”

“Alamance County Health Department worked closely with ABSS to identify cases and responded quickly to mitigate the cluster,” stated Alamance County Health Director Tony Lo Giudice. “We will continue to offer guidance to ensure the safety of staff, children, and the community.”

Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20, 2020. Since then, a total of 17,730 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 17,059 have been released from isolation and 413 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 5 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 258 COVID-19 related deaths. COVID-related deaths include only patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, and who died without fully recovering from the disease. COVID-19 vaccinations are available to all residents ages 16 and older.

Anyone age 16 and older desiring an appointment can go to vaccinatealamance.com or call 336-290-0650. Although the percent of positive COVID-19 cases has decreased in the county, we still need to be mindful that COVID-19 is still prevalent. It is important to take steps to reduce your risks of contracting COVID-19, specifically wearing a face covering, maintaining physical distance and avoiding crowds, and washing your hands and cleaning commonly used surfaces regularly. These steps are imperative to control the spread of COVID-19. The health of you, your loved ones, and the community are what matters.

On March 3, NC DHHS updated their COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan to include all essential workers. At the time, Alamance County Health Department chose to take the remainder of the week to complete vaccinations for pre-K-12 school staff and childcare workers. After reviewing the vaccinations given thus far, as well as our forthcoming vaccine supply and the increase in vaccination providers in the county, Alamance County Health Department has determined that effective March 8 we will transition to vaccinating all essential workers, as defined by NC DHHS.

COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made through the new online appointment system www.vaccinatealamance.com beginning March 8 at 8:30am. For those without internet access, the COVID-19 vaccine call center will open on March 8 at 08:30am to begin scheduling appointments. The number to call for an appointment is 336-290-0650.

The Health Department fills appointments based on its current vaccine supply. If you make an appointment and are unable to keep it, or if you choose to receive your vaccination elsewhere, please call 336-290-0655 to cancel the appointment. This will help to alleviate the possibility of vacant appointment times. This number is for cancellations only; do not call this number for appointments.

The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media.

Persons seeking to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine now have two convenient options. Beginning March 1, COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made online at www.vaccinatealamance.com. The online appointment system will go live at 8:30am and will remain open until all appointments are filled. We will continue to schedule appointments through the COVID-19 Vaccination Call Center. The call center will open March 1 at 8:30am and remain open until 4:30pm, or until all available appointments are filled. The number to call for an appointment is 336-290-0650.

Online and phone appointments are available for Group1- Healthcare Workers, Group 2- Adults 65 years and older. Appointments for Group 3- Pre-K-12 School Staff and Childcare Staff are being made directly with the school system and/or facility employers.

As a reminder, available appointments are based on current vaccine supply. The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media.

Alamance County and Cone Health to Open a COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinic

On Saturday, Feb. 27, the Alamance County Health Department and Cone Health will open a joint COVID-19 vaccination clinic. The clinic is at 2401 Eric Lane, Unit 100, in Burlington. Appointments are required.

The facility will initially vaccinate health care workers, persons 65 and over, and employees of childcare centers and pre-K-12 schools. The number of people vaccinated will depend upon the number of COVID-19 vaccines received each week by the state.

“Alamance County and Cone Health have had a long-standing partnership, and we are excited about the continued collaboration between our local county health department and Cone Health to get our residents vaccinated for COVID-19,” stated Alamance County Commission Chairman John Paisley. “It is important that we’re able to make the vaccine available and accessible to as many eligible people who want to receive it. We are appreciative to all of the staff and volunteers who have devoted many hours to this initiative.”

“We’re proud to join Alamance County in the Vaccinate Alamance campaign,” said Chief Nursing Officer Ambulatory, CHMG, Population Health & Cone Health Vice President of Clinical Support Services, Deborah Grant, DNP. “The best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to be vaccinated and to follow the 3Ws – wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart and wash hands frequently. We look forward to serving the Alamance County community through this vaccination clinic.”

APPOINTMENTS FOR THOSE 65 AND OVER

Appointments for those 65 and over can be scheduled two ways:
– Request an appointment at conehealth.com/vaccine. Those 65 and over requesting an appointment will be contacted within two weeks to schedule their vaccination.
– Contact the Alamance County Health Department by phone to schedule an appointment, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm or until all appointments are filled. Call 336-290-0650. Please exercise patience as call volumes will be high. More information is available here

APPOINTMENTS FOR THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE

Alamance County Health Department (ACHD) is working with the Alamance-Burlington School System, private schools and childcare centers to ensure eligible pre-K-12 staff that wants a vaccine can receive a vaccine. Cone Health is providing staff to help with the vaccinations.

After Friday, Feb. 26, Cone Health will move its COVID-19 vaccine clinic at 2363 Corporation Parkway in Burlington to the new site. Cone Health will continue offering COVID-19 testing at the Corporation Parkway site, with hours of operation and test scheduling available here.

Alamance County Health Department will move its COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Burlington to the Eric Lane site on Feb. 26. This move affects the CTEC site only. Second dose vaccinations will continue at the Burlington Athletic Stadium.

“We are thrilled that our longtime community partners, the Alamance County Health Department and Cone Health, are working so hard to support our educators and all families in Alamance County with their vaccination efforts,” said Alamance-Burlington Board of Education Chair Allison Gant. “Today’s announcement is the great news we have been waiting for so that our educators are supported in their efforts to bring students back to our classrooms as a next stage in returning to normal as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone involved for making this possible.”

Alamance County Health Department has identified a COVID-19 cluster at Hawfields Presbyterian Child Care and Development Center in Mebane, Like My Own Daycare #2 in Burlington, and Kidz N Progress Childcare across three locations- one in Mebane and two in Haw River. The cases will be included on the biweekly Child Care and School Settings report for NC DHHS. NC DHHS defines a cluster as minimum of five laboratory-confirmed cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.

Currently, nine (9) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among six (6) staff and three (3) children at Hawfields Childcare.
“The safety of the children and staff at Hawfields Child Care remains our top priority,” said Director Christy McCawley. “With any positive case, we immediately close the classroom and notify parents, the Alamance County Health Department and the NC DHHS Division of Child Development and Early Education. All classrooms are cleaned and disinfected daily, but an extra cleaning is always performed in the event of a positive case while the classroom is closed.”

Christy further stated, “Hawfields has 43 employees taking care of 141 children and supporting 25 students for remote learning (a total of 209 children and staff). We have had a total of 9 positive cases in our building. Five cases were isolated with no spread in our center. Our recent cases do demonstrate a potential link of COVID being contracted within our center.”
“We are proud that we have remained open to serve families during such a challenging time and look forward to our staff receiving the COVID vaccine when available.”

At Like My Own Daycare #2, six (6) cases have been confirmed among three (3) staff and three (3) children.

Rasanda Mitchell, Owner of Like My Own #2, stated, “On behalf of Like My Own #2 it really brought deep sadness and concerns for my staff and families. It is a pandemic, and we are doing all we can to make the place a safe place for all. We have been cooperating with the Alamance County Health Department and following all the childcare guidance from Department of Health and Human Services and the Governor. I was advised to close one classroom but for the safety of my children and staff, I closed the entire center and informed my childcare consultant and the health department. We will continue to work with the Alamance County Health Department during the closing to make sure the timing is appropriate to open. I am terribly sorry for any inconvenience it has caused any families enrolled. I wish I had a magic wand to make it disappear, but I cannot. I’m going to continue to pray for all families and childcare centers affected by COVID-19.”

Across the three sites of Kidz N Progress, five (5) cases have been confirmed among three (3) staff and two (2) students. A statement from the director was not provided at the time of release.

“Alamance County Health Department was able to identify cases and respond quickly to each childcare center to hopefully mitigate future spread,” stated Health Director Tony Lo Giudice. “We will continue to offer guidance to ensure the safety of staff, children, and the community.”

Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20, 2020. Since then, a total of 15,592 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 14,729 have been released from isolation and 641 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 21 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 222 COVID-19 related deaths. COVID-related deaths include only patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, and who died without fully recovering from the disease.

Although the percent of positive COVID-19 cases has decreased in the county, we still need to be mindful that COVID-19 is still prevalent. It is important to take steps to reduce your risks of contracting COVID-19, specifically wearing a face covering, maintaining physical distance and avoiding crowds, and washing your hands and cleaning commonly used surfaces regularly. Also, when your time comes to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, please do so. These steps are imperative to control the spread of COVID-19. The health of you, your loved ones, and the community are what matters.

On January 14, NC DHHS updated their COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan to include adults 65 and older. At that time, Secretary Cohen also stated “We strongly recommend that vaccine providers prioritize people 75 years or older if local demand for vaccination is greater than vaccine supply.” At that time, it was necessary to continue only providing vaccinations to adults 75 and older due to the current vaccine supply and demand. After reviewing the vaccinations given thus far, as well as our forthcoming vaccine supply and the increase in vaccination providers, Alamance County Health Department has determined that effective February 8 we will transition to vaccinating adults 65 and older.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Line will open on February 8 at 08:30am to begin scheduling appointments for February 9 through February 15, until all appointments are filled. The number to call for an appointment is 336-290-0650. The Health Department fills appointments based on its current vaccine supply. Between February 9 and February 15 we will fill 1,875 appointments. If you make an appointment and are unable to keep it, or if you choose to receive your vaccination elsewhere, please contact the Health Department’s general appointment line at 336-570-6459 to cancel the appointment. This will help to alleviate the possibility of vacant appointment times.

The public will be informed of any changes and updates through the Health Department website, social media, and the local news media.