RALEIGH – During a March 9 virtual press briefing, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that 1.1 million North Carolinians have received full vaccination for COVID-19 since the state began the effort in December.
“With children back in school and vaccine distribution under way, there are more signs of hope making progress putting pandemic behind us,” Gov. Cooper said during the briefing.
The Cooper administration has extensively touted a Bloomberg report on the state’s vaccination “equity” in getting the vaccine to black and white residents.
N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen told Bloomberg that communities with higher numbers of historically marginalized populations receive more shots.
The latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, though, shows NC at 35th among state-administered vaccinations by 100,000 residents. The state ranks 8th-highest among total doses administered, roughly in line with state population numbers.
Cooper also said he doesn’t intend to lift the state’s mask mandate, saying he was listening to health officials on the matter.
Several states including Texas, Mississippi, and South Carolina recently announced they were lifting state orders but still encouraging their use.
