Thread by @PeteKaliner

Governor's COVID briefing begins.
ncdps.gov/news-conference
I'll be live-tweeting.

#NCpol

Gov:
Unfortunately, This virus did not disappear at midnight on New Year's Eve.
96 counties are now labeled as critical or significant spread.
We must treat it as the deadly threat is.
New deadly strain found in USA.
Double down on 3Ws.
Extending #SHEO for 3 weeks.

#NCpol

Gov:
I will keep all the restrictions in place. Health Sec. Mandy Cohen will issue a "Secretarial directive" about how everyone should not leave their homes.

Getting vax out quickly is top priority. We'll do everything to do so.
Cohen is doing a great job at this.

#NCpol

Gov:
Using 50 National Guard members to distribute vax.

We're concerned that many are declining to take the vax.

#NCpol

Health Sec. Cohen:
Alarming amount of virus in our state.
People showing up at hospitals with COVID-like symptoms - graph spikes up.
Case counts trending up.
>9,000 cases in a single day -- a record. Doesn't include full impact of the holidays.

#NCpol

Hospitalizations continues to "significantly increase." Records in ICUs and hospitals are feeling strain.
Some are now reducing non-emergency procedures.
Field hospital in Lenoir.
#NCpol

Cohen:
I am issuing a "secretarial directive":
1. Only leave home for essential activities
2. Don't gather with people you don't live with
3. Wear a mask

High risk that YOU have COVID right now.

#NCpol

Cohen:
We vaccinating people. Vax are safe. Rigorously tested.
You can't get sick from the vax.
It will take many months to vax everyone.
#NCpol

Gov:
The numbers paint a dark & difficult picture. This is a critical point. We all need to take stock of our own actions.
Fighting pandemic for a year is tiring & frustrating. But if we wear masks & avoid risky activities, we'll get to the other side quickly.
#NCpol

WITN Reporter Q:
How are you reacting to the Congress members objections to the certification of the election?

Gov:
Confident Congress will accept it today.
#NCpol

FOX 8 Reporter Q:
Other states are training more people to administer vax. How about here?
Now is time for uniform closing of all schools?

Gov:
We want vax to go out quickly. We'll use every personnel to do this. Cohen has a plan in place.

#NCpol

Gov:
We've not heard Supt.s asking us to take away options. We're leaving it up to local districts.

Cohen:
Clinics are working to vax as fast as possible. We'll help them if they're trying to scale up. We're onboarding vaccinators. More vax= more training for more people.
#NCpol

WBTV Reporter Q:
How will National Guard be working to help administer vax?

Gen. Hunt:
We're fully engaged in pandemic response. Planning this for a while. 6-man teams are highly mobile based on state needs.

#NCpol

Winston-Salem Journal Reporter Q:
How does directive work with parents & students going to & from school?

Gov:
Directive is not a mandatory order. This is to show how serious it is. We need to all step up to a level we haven't been at before.

#NCpol

Gov:
School is an exception in the secretarial directive.

Cohen:
We want folks to stay home & only leave for essential activities. Schools & work are such activities.
Vax are safe. People need to hear this.

#NCpol

N&O Reporter Q:
Confident now the infrastructure is in place to distribute the vax? If Phase 1 people refuse vax, will it go to others?

Gov:
We're working with hospitals on prioritization & database management.

#NCpol

Cohen:
We all share sense of urgency over vax distribution. We prioritize getting it to every county. Some are using it all. Others are running slowly.
We have plans to help.

#NCpol

N&O follow-up Q:
When will there be multiple large arena-sized facilities for vax, so we avoid Florida-like long lines with overnight waiting.

Cohen:
Call your local health department. We have a website & 1-800 number.

#NCpol

WUNC Reporter Q:
What is the main bottleneck preventing vax from getting into peoples' arms.

Gov:
This is our top priority. Some places already used up their supplies.

Cohen:
We're working hard to ramp up operations. Some locals need help & we're giving it.
#NCpol

CBS-17 Reporter Q:
National Guard being used now?

Gov:
I activated the Guard at the beginning.

#NCpol

Follow-up Reporter Q:
Why not re-issue a lockdown order instead of this "secretarial directive?"

Cohen:
This lays out actions people can take to protect everyone. This isn't about police showing up at peoples' homes.

#NCpol

Reporter Q:
More restrictions coming?

Gov:
We closed indoor bars. We severely limited dining, capacity, gyms. We have mask mandate. We've done a lot & if we had everyone abiding the rules, we'd be better off.
All options are on the table.

#NCpol

WTVD follow-up Reporter Q:
Confident hospitals are prepared to handle surge over next few weeks?

Cohen:
They're adapting to take on more COVID patients. Moving staff around.
Everyone is doing all we can. But we have a major challenge ahead of us - why I issued directive.
#NCpol

AP Reporter Q:
Should state pay NCians to get vax? Or considering mandatory vax for LTC workers?

Gov:
No financial incentives or mandates.

Cohen:
We're trying to get good info out to people & that will convince them to get the vax.

#NCpol

Briefing ends.
#NCpol