Photo of woman's arm with a bandaid after getting a flu shot

Health Department Urges the Community to Make a Plan to Get a Flu Shot

The Orange County Health Department is urging community members to protect themselves, their families and those around them by getting vaccinated against Influenza as the county enters flu season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death,” according to Orange County Health Director, Quintana Stewart. “Flu vaccines are safe and effective. A flu shot provides protection against contracting the virus and, if you do catch the flu after being vaccinated, it has been shown to dramatically lessen the severity and duration of the illness.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination against the flu for everyone 6 months and older with any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine. Vaccination against the flu can make illness milder and reduce the risk of more serious outcomes, making it especially important for those at higher risk of complications, such as people over 65, children younger than 5, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or obesity. Some of those same groups are also at high risk of complications from COVID-19.

Flu vaccinations are available at hospitals, pharmacies, private medical offices, some federally qualified health care centers and local health departments. Visit vaccinefinder.org/find-vaccine to find locations.

The Orange County Health Department will offer free flu vaccinations at an upcoming COVID-19 testing events.

Saturday, Oct. 24, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church from Noon to 4 p.m. at 940 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Click here for more information, including tips on how to stay safe.

Orange County Recreation Programs for November 2020 include virtual and in-person options

Orange County Recreation is accepting registration for programs running Oct. 26 through Nov. 22. The information on each of these programs is listed on our website at www.orangecountync.gov/Recreation.

Virtual Programs

Programs will be live, interactive, and small-group to foster interaction with the instructor and socialization with classmates. There will be a nominal fee for these programs to cover supplies that will be delivered to participants' doorstep. Options available for all ages and all schedules. Programs offered include:

Pre-K Learn & Play (Ages 3-5)
Afterschool Academy (Ages 6-9)
Harry Potter’s Wizarding World (Ages 6-9)
Advanced Coding (Ages 10-12)
Lego Challenge (Ages 10-12)
Canvas Painting for Adults (Ages 16+)
Adult Craft Club: Holi-daze (Ages 16+)

In-person Programs

We're back for limited-capacity in person programs as well! All programs will be limited to five participants with one instructor. All programs will have COVID safety precautions in place; visit the program website and learn more. Register early because spaces are limited! Programs offered include:

Start Smart Basketball (Ages 3-5 w/ adult)
Start Smart Soccer (Ages 3-5 w/ adult)
Toy Factory (Ages 6-8)
Toy Factory (Ages 9-12)

Registration

As our offices are not yet open for the general public, registration will be conducted online at www.orangecountync.gov/ActivityRegistration. If you need assistance with registering, you can contact Lisa Brashear at 919-245-2660 during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) or e-mail her at lbrashear@orangecountync.gov.

Orange County COVID-19 Updated Data Oct. 23, 2020

The Orange County Health Department has provided the following information about COVID-19 cases in Orange County as of 9:00 a.m. today:

TOTAL CASES: 2,989
TOTAL DEATHS: 58

Data Considerations:
1. Any demographic groups with very small numbers have been suppressed to protect
patient confidentiality.
2. We are missing race and ethnicity data for between 30-40% of confirmed cases.
3. We don’t know who may have COVID-19 that wasn’t able to get tested, and we don’t know what groups the patients with missing data fall under.
This data should not be used to make generalizations about who may or may not have higher rates of infection.

Click here to download the entire release.

Health Department offering daily COVID tests

Orange County Health Department will offer daily COVID tests beginning Monday, Oct. 26. Tests will be available at the Whitted Human Services Building (300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough) from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day.

Anyone is welcome to come for a test. Pre-registration is encouraged at https://unityphm.com/campaigns/starmed.

Testing will not be offered on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3). Please check the calendar for details.

See the Orange County COVID-19 Testing webpage for additional information on local testing options.

DSS monthly food distribution to be on Oct. 28

This month’s DSS Emergency Food Assistance Program distribution is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28. People who are income eligible can call (919) 245-4354 on Tuesday, Oct. 27^tfor an appointment slot.

Eligible recipients must be receiving FNS/SNAP benefits or meet income guidelines.
Due to limited supplies and to ensure social distancing, appointments are required.
Appointment slots will be issued on the day prior to distribution only, on a first-call/ first-served basis, until all slots are filled.
Distributions for this program will occur on the last Wednesday of each month.

Pick-up will be in the patio area adjacent to Orange Works beside the Department of Social Services in Hillsborough at 113 Mayo Street.

early voting graphic with dates and locations

Photo of Orange County bus outside early voting site

Public Transportation options available for voters who need a ride to the polls

Need a ride to the polls? Orange County Transportation Services and Chapel Hill Transit have you covered.
Chapel Hill Transit provides service to four of the early voting sites. Visit their website to see route maps and service times. Below is a list of the routes that service each location.

Route CW to Carrboro Town Hall (301 W. Main Street, Carrboro)
Route D to Chapel of the Cross (304 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill)
Route HS to Seymour Senior Center (2551 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill)
Route A to University Mall (201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill)

Orange County’s Hillsborough Circulator provides service to the early voting site at Orange Works at Hillsborough Commons (113 Mayo Street).
For voters wishing to return an absentee ballot, the circulator can also get you close to the Board of Elections offices (208 S. Cameron Street). Absentee ballots can also be returned at any Early Voting site, but the voter must wait in line with other voters.

Halloween is typically celebrated in ways that include prolonged and repeated contact with non-household members. This year, because of COVID-19, it is important to plan early and identify safer alternatives. The Orange County Health Department is offering guidance on how to celebrate Halloween without increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Take advantage of the Medicare Annual Election Period from Oct. 15-Dec. 7, and you may save money

The Orange County Department on Aging and the N.C. Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) invite Medicare beneficiaries to review their 2021 Medicare Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans.
Medicare plans change each calendar year. Your medication costs can increase significantly if your plan changes their drug list and pricing as of Jan 1. Many people save hundreds and even thousands of dollars by switching plans, but most can only change during Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. The Orange County Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) provides free and unbiased assistance.

Meet with a certified counselor for an Annual Medicare Review. You can choose an in-person appointment at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill or the Passmore Center in Hillsborough. Or choose to schedule a Zoom video chat.
To schedule an appointment, visit our website at www.orangecountync.gov/ocncSHIIP or call 919-245-4274.

Housing and Community Development receives HOPE grant to help with rent, utilities during pandemic

The Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development has received a $797,133 grant from the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency to provide rent and utility assistance to county residents experiencing housing distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NC Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program is funded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus funds and U.S. Department of Treasury Coronavirus Relief funds, which have been provided to North Carolina. The funds are administered by the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency, a division of the Department of Public Safety, and will be distributed through community partner agencies across the state.

Up to six months of assistance may be provided to allow applicants to remain in safe housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This funding will allow us to continue to provide eviction prevention services to the county and continue the work being done through the Emergency Housing Assistance program established by the Board of Commissioners,” said Emila Sutton, Orange County Housing and Community Development Director.

Click here for more information, including a link to the application.

Fun and Games with Ms. Lori, Grades K-2

Fun and Games you can participate in anywhere you have internet access! Join Ms. Lori for Zoom Minute to Win-It. You will be competing with your friends to see how many tasks you can complete in a minute. We will do about 8 tasks total.

N.C. Cares for the Arts Grant Program

The North Carolina General Assembly designated $9.4 million federal CARES Act funds for arts councils and arts organizations to mitigate business disruptions caused by COVID-19. As a result, the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC), as the Designated County Partner with the NC Arts Council, will be distributing $166,510 in grants to the local arts community.

The application period for Orange County organizations will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020.

Eligibility
The primary purpose of the NC CARES for the Arts program is to assist the nonprofit arts industry that has been severely impacted by the pandemic. Therefore, nonprofit arts organizations will receive funding priority. However, we also invite other organizations and businesses to apply, particularly those whose operations have a high impact in our community through employment, tourism, or services offered to county residents or artists.
The following groups are eligible to apply for funding. All applicants must be located in Orange County, NC.

501(c)3 nonprofit arts organizations
Community or cultural-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations whose arts-related programming expense equals or exceeds 25% of the organization’s total budget
Businesses whose primary operations are in the visual, performing, or literary arts (including individual artists’ businesses)
Unincorporated arts groups or LLC’s

For more information, visit the Orange County Arts Commission website.

Eyewitness! Participatory Defense
Free Zoom event offered Oct. 26

MacArthur Fellow and Community Organizer Raj Jayadev, a founder of Silicon Valley De-Bug and leading national proponent of the Participatory Defense model, will participate in a free Zoom event on Oct. 26 to discuss this effort.

This model involves collective action that enables individuals facing incarceration, their families, and their communities to play an active role in their defense.

This event is free and open to the community. Use this link to sign on to the meeting at 5:30: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83567903694.

For more information contact Orange/Chatham Public Defender Susan Seahorn at 919-289-9693.