Health Care

Cape Fear Valley Health mandates employee vaccines

By Scott Nunn, posted 2 years ago

 

With coronavirus infections now going in the wrong direction, Cape Fear Valley Health (CFVH) announced Thursday that it will make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for employees, physicians, students, vendors, and volunteers. The deadline for full compliance with this new mandate is Oct. 1, 2021.

CVVH's more-than-7,000 workers make it the largest non-military-related employer in Cumberland County.

“With the rising trend in positive COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, vaccinations remain our best defense against the pandemic,” CFVH CEO Michael Nagowski said.  “The vaccine has proven to be safe and effective, and the data shows it reduces the severity of the virus and significantly lessens the risk of COVID related hospitalizations for those who are exposed to the virus. The overwhelming body of scientific evidence supports our decision that mandatory vaccination is the right choice at this time.”

According to a news release, members of CFVH’s leadership held multiple town hall events with employees to listen and answer questions before making this decision. 

“Employees will be able to apply for exemptions for medical or religious reasons, similar to those available for other required vaccines,” the news release said.

The move by CFVH follows similar actions by the state's largest health-care systems — Atrium, Novant, UNC and Duke — as well as Veteran's Administration frontline health-care workers and state workers who report to the governor.

The coronavirus, which most people thought was mainly behind them, is raising its ugly head, with mask and vaccine requirements back on the table. At a time when many people were relieved they finally were going away, some pandemic protocols are back in place.

For  Cumberland County government, all employees and members of the public, regardless of vaccination status are required to wear masks when inside county buildings, according to Loren Byerm, a spokesperson for Cumberland County. Those inside county buildings should also observe 6-foot social distancing. 

For the Faytteville city government, as of Aug. 2, employees and people inside city buildings will be required to wear masks. Also, people who ride inside city vehicles will be required to wear masks. Visitors are encouraged to schedule appointments before entering City Hall, according to the city website.

Elsewhere in the city, the airport continues to require masks while in the terminal. If travelers do not have a mask one will be provided for them. Travelers must wear masks throughout the duration of their flight.

One of the public places with closest quarters is Fayetteville Regional Airport. According a city news release, the airport “continues to implement additional cleaning measures and safety precautions, including: acrylic barriers at customer interaction points; hand sanitizer stations; daily disinfection sprays; commercial aircraft equipped with industrial-grade HEPA air filters in the ventilation systems, to continuously circulate and refresh air supply.

Back on the ground, on  the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST), employees and passengers must wear a face mask. not face shields, neck gaiters or bandanas; FAST has reduced passenger capacity from 35 to 22 on buses; six-feet social distancing required at FAST facilities; bus seats marked for social distancing; daily disinfecting and cleaning of FAST facilities and vehicles.

The Fayetteville Police Department has continued to maintain a mask mandate for all personnel who enter the building. 

“We will continue to enforce this upon entry into the PD,” a FPD news release said. “The lobby will remain open with normal operating hours for visitors wishing to conduct official business in person.”

Elsewhere, Cumberland County Schools required students and teachers to wear masks when they returned to year-round school in late July. Last week the state delegated decisions about mask wearing to local school systems. Gov. Roy Cooper let the mask mandate expire July 30, when the current state of emergency order ended. In place of the mandate, the state Department of Health and Human Services issued an updated toolkit for schools to follow to limit the spread of coronavirus as more students return to class statewide in the coming weeks.

The updated guidance recommends that schools continue requiring masks indoors for students and staff in grades K-8 because most of those students aren't yet eligible to be vaccinated.  

After dropping beneath the target 5 percent infection rate over the summer, the state's infection rate — meaning the percentage of COVID-19 tests that produce a positive result — has soared to 12 percent, a rate similar to that of late last year, the worst days of the vaccine.

Since the virus first surfaced in the area in the spring of 2020, nearly 33,000 cases have been reported in Cumberland County, resulting in 338 deaths. In comparison, in 2019-20, the flu virus killed 186 statewide. COVID-19 has killed more than 13,700 North Carolinians since March 2020.

Health officials maintain that the best way to prevent the virus is through vaccination.

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