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Stanly County Health Department reports that the community level is back to high as 164 new cases of COVID-19 were reported for the week.

Lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases through Wednesday were approaching 22,000 since the pandemic began.

Positive cases since January are 1,843 for ages 0-17 and 7,020 for ages 18 and older.

With the level high, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following:
● Wear a mask indoors in public
● Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
● Get tested if you have symptoms
● Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness

People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. For more information visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html

The updated (bivalent) COVID-19 booster doses for individuals ages 12 and older will be available at Stanly County Health Department beginning Tuesday. The updated Pfizer and Moderna booster doses protect against both the original and Omicron strains of the virus.
For all ages eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine, the primary series (first and second dose), as well as the additional third dose for the immunocompromised, are still the original COVID-19 vaccine.

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is now available at Stanly County Health Department. As a protein-based vaccine, Novavax is another option for people who are allergic to one of the components in a mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) or viral-vector (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. The vaccine is currently authorized as a primary series only, and not as a booster dose.

Novavax is a two-dose, protein-based COVID-19 vaccine that is being used in more than 40 countries and has been authorized by the European Union and the World Health Organization.

For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/novavax.html