To help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our communities, public health officials continue to recommend that everyone wear a mask in indoor public spaces in areas of high or substantial levels of transmission as defined by the CDC’s Community Transmission Map.

Transylvania County remains in a high level of transmission as defined by the CDC’s Community Transmission Map, but new cases in Transylvania County decreased 25% in the past 7 days compared to the previous 7 days. Of the new cases reported in the past 7 days, 58 new cases (43%) were children ages 0-17; 14 of these were in children ages 0-11 who are not eligible to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective in helping to slow the spread of the virus and prevent serious illness. A recent CDC study found that since Delta became the most common variant of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the U.S., people who are fully vaccinated were 5 times less likely to be infected, more than 10 times less likely to be hospitalized and more than 10 times less likely to die from COVID-19 when compared to people who were not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pfizer vaccines are available for everyone ages 12 or older while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available for everyone ages 18 or older. A third dose of mRNA vaccine has been recommended for people who have moderate or severely compromised immune systems at least 28 days after their second dose. Additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and booster shots for the general public are under review but have not yet been approved at this time.

Transylvania Public Health offers free in-office COVID-19 vaccinations Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 11:15 am and 1:00 pm to 4:15 pm. No appointment is needed. Vaccine type may vary weekly; please call 884-4007 for more information. Additional doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are also available for immunocompromised individuals. Our clinic is located on the 3rd floor of the Community Services Building at 106 E. Morgan St. in downtown Brevard. For second or additional doses, please bring the vaccination card given when you received your first dose; if you do not have a card, we can verify your vaccination status using the state database as long as you received your first dose in North Carolina.

Transylvania Public Health is also able to provide on-site vaccinations by request for groups at worksites, churches, community centers, and neighborhoods. To request a vaccination event, click here or call 884-4007.

COVID-19 vaccines are also available in Transylvania County from Blue Ridge Health Center-Brevard Health Center, Gordon’s Family Pharmacy, Ingles Pharmacy, Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart Pharmacy, and some private providers. Specific availability of each vaccine may vary; you can call each vaccine provider for more information about which vaccines they are currently offering.

Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 should be tested. The most common symptoms are headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose and fever, but can also include cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Some local providers have been experiencing shortages of testing supplies, but testing for COVID-19 is generally available in Transylvania County at private healthcare providers, CVS, Mercy Urgent Care, Pardee Urgent Care, and Walgreens. At-home test kits are also available for purchase at local stores and for free by request at https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/nc. (Please note that Transylvania Public Health does NOT offer COVID-19 testing for the general public.)

People who are not fully vaccinated should receive a vaccination as soon as possible, wear a face covering in all indoor public settings, wait 6 feet apart in all public settings, wash hands often, not gather with unvaccinated people who live in other households, not travel (or get tested 1-3 days before and 3-5 days after travel and quarantine for 7 days after travel), quarantine and get tested 5-7 days after exposure after close contact to someone with COVID-19, get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, and participate in any routine screening testing offered.

People who are fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public spaces if they live in an area of high or substantial transmission. They should also wear a face covering in all K-12 schools, child care, and other indoor settings with a large number of children or child-focused activities, as will as in public transportation and health care settings and other crowded indoor venues. Fully vaccinated people should get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 3-5 days after an exposure to someone with COVID-19 (they should wear a mask around others until they receive negative test results). CDC guidance recommends that people who are fully vaccinated might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of community transmission, especially if they or someone in their household is immune compromised or at increased risk of severe illness, or if someone in their household is not vaccinated.

Businesses should require employees to report vaccination status and require employees who are not fully vaccinated to wear a face covering indoors, maintain 6 feet of distance from others, and participate in routine screening testing for COVID-19, especially in high-risk settings like long-term care facilities. Businesses in areas of high or substantial transmission should encourage fully vaccinated employees to wear a face covering indoors when within 6 feet of other people and should post signage that all employees and visitors should wear a face covering. Businesses should also remind all employees and visitors to self-monitor and get tested if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

People with questions about COVID-19 symptoms, testing, guidance, or vaccines can call 884-4007 during the health department’s normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm).