Coronavirus

As coronavirus vaccines are becoming more widely available to the public, new questions are popping up. Like: Which vaccine is best for me? And: What if I test positive for COVID between vaccine doses? WHQR has answers. 

Governor Roy Cooper announced last week that North Carolina will make Group 4 vaccine eligibility a week sooner than originally planned. But technical issues continue to hamper coronavirus vaccine distribution across the country.

It's been close to three months since North Carolina rolled out its vaccination program, now being extended to the third of five groups. So how do those who have already received the shot feel about it?

North Carolina is moving to the next phase of Covid-19 vaccine distribution soon.  But Group 3 is going to get the shot in phases.  

North Carolina will get 5% more of the Covid-19 vaccine starting next week.  But there’s still not enough vaccine available, and it’s even worse for those in minority communities. 

At Tuesday night's New Hanover County School Board meeting, there was plenty of community support for returning pre-K through 5th-graders to school full time. Next week, the board will decide whether to do that.

  New research is suggesting that even if there’s high spread of the coronavirus in the community, that doesn’t translate into increased cases in schools. But the findings rest upon each school’s commitment to masking, handwashing, and distancing.

  As more North Carolinians are becoming eligible for vaccination,  actually getting a vaccine appointment has become trickier. This has added uncertainty to an already uneven rollout. Local health officials have heard these frustrations and advise patience.

  At Tuesday night’s New Hanover County School Board meeting, the announcement came that school staff will be vaccinated in Phase 1B. There were also concerns from some community members about the impending elementary reopening.

  The New Hanover County School Board has approved reopening pre-k-5 schools for full in-personing learning on January 19th, pushing back an earlier opening date by a week. It’s been a difficult decision for members, especially the newest ones who had to make up their minds quickly. 

At Tuesday afternoon's press conference, Governor Roy Cooper announced that the Covid-19 vaccine arrived in North Carolina on Monday. But he says the vaccines will not be available to the general public anytime soon and that coronavirus infection rates are continuing to rise. 

New Hanover Regional Medical Center is getting closer to limiting less urgent procedures. In part, the decision depends on whether or not the hospital hits an average of 50 Covid-19 patients.

Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise at concerning levels across North Carolina.  For that reason, Governor Roy Cooper is extending restrictions on gatherings and tightening requirements on mask-wearing.  And as Pender County becomes one of 21 counties with substantial community spread, state officials hope local governments will follow Greensboro’s example. 

The number of Covid-19 cases in New Hanover County continue to rise. WHQR talks with Wilmington Health's Dr. Paul Kamitsuka about what you need to know before celebrating the upcoming holidays.    

Covid-19 cases in North Carolina are still rising.  But state health officials say because of early precautions, the state is not seeing a huge spike nor are hospitals overloaded.  But state health officials are worried about the upcoming holidays.    

New Hanover County Schools opened for in-person classes last week. WHQR checked-in with some school personnel to see how things went.   

  At his Tuesday afternoon press conference, Governor Roy Cooper announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. WHQR reports Phase 2.5 of his safer-at-home policy will go into effect this Friday, September 4th at 5 P.M.   

Over the weekend, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington identified its third COVID cluster on campus. On Monday night, that number grew to four. As a graduate student, I was able to get a firsthand look at the university's testing process. 

The University of North Carolina-Wilmington has identified two clusters of COVID-19 in campus dorms. 

It wasn't entirely unexpected. 

  As the number of Covid-19 cases in North Carolina continues to stabilize, WHQR has details on the Governor’s new budget proposal.      

Coronavirus clusters are popping up on college campuses across the nation. WHQR spoke with UNCW students about the risks of campus life.  

  At his Wednesday, August 19th press conference, Governor Roy Cooper announced the metrics the state uses to determine the severity of the coronavirus are stable, and some are even declining. As WHQR reports, he also pledged $12 million dollars to expand Internet services across the state.

As college students return to campus for the fall semester, COVID cases in dorms are on the rise, and faculty and employees on UNC campuses are expressing fear for their safety. 

Ending Saturday, August 8th, this past week’s top stories include Hurricane Isaias blowing through the Cape Fear region and the on-going question of how to reopen schools safely durng a global pandemic. Take a listen below.

 Almost 4 out of 10 New Hanover County School teachers say they have personal issues that prevent them from working face-to-face with students. That’s according to a newly released survey by the school system. But as WHQR’s reports, New Hanover County has chosen to implement Governor Roy Cooper’s Plan B, which involves all staff returning in-person.   

The Downtown Alive initiative kicked off last night in Wilmington as sections of downtown were closed to traffic to allow restaurants and stores to expand on to sidewalks and streets. 

At his Covid-19 press conference on Wednesday, June 24th, Governor Roy Cooper announced his decision to extend Phase II restrictions and require mandatory masks in public places.

In early April, WHQR spoke with a Wilmington native working as an ER nurse on the frontlines of the pandemic. We recently followed up with Michael—that's not his real name—to see how life in the ER has changed.