Masks are very much encouraged whenever you plan to be indoors in public areas. Masks are required for employees and the public in ALL Haywood County government facilities including the courthouse, libraries, and public health buildings.

According to the CDC, nearly all of North Carolina is listed as an area of high community transmission. All surrounding states are also high-transmission areas. 

This week 94.7 percent of new COVID cases were unvaccinated. Nearly all of those who require hospitalization are unvaccinated.  

Vaccination appointments are available on a walk-in basis at the health department. Initial doses of Pfizer are available for ages 5-18. All three vaccines are available for anyone 18+. Vaccine clinic hours are Monday-Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1 - 4 p.m. 

Adults are eligible for a booster when they are:

• 6 months past the initial doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or

• 2 months past the initial dose of Johnson & Johnson

If you prefer scheduling an appointment, call 828.356.2019.

The latest COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has now been detected in the United States. We are not aware of any cases detected in Haywood County so far. In early studies, it appears to be highly transmissible, with somewhat milder symptoms than previous variants, but we don't yet know enough to be confident that this is how it will behave. Right now, Delta remains the cause of cases here. Haywood County Health and Human Services are following developments with this new variant closely and will continue to provide updates as we know more. 

“This winter is looking very much like last winter. We are a week past Thanksgiving and the number of positive COVID cases is on the rise again. Haywood County is back in the “red” and test positivity is above 10%. I know that the community is weary, but the time to be careful is now. Do what you can to keep yourself and those around you safe and healthy,” said Public Health Director Sarah Henderson.

Multiple options for vaccination exist, including community partners like pharmacies and health clinics that are also providing walk-in first and second-dose vaccinations and boosters.

For more information on this or other vaccination sites visit:  www.vaccines.gov 

Citizens who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to reach out to friends or family that meet the close contact criteria, and encourage them to self-quarantine and get tested 5-6 days after their exposure to the individual who tested positive. The end goal is to reduce community spread and keep COVID numbers on the downward trend.

Businesses need to be mindful that having quarantined employees return to work too quickly could cause a cluster of cases in the workplace. We ask that employers rely on the honor system and encourage employees who have been exposed to quarantine for the recommended time frame of 14 days from the date of exposure to help reduce potential spread.