05/04/2024
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There are 214 confirmed cumulative (from the beginning) COVID-19 cases in Bladen County. There are 62 active COVID-19 cases, according to Bladen County Health and Human Services Director, Dr. Teresa (Terri) Duncan. Active is the number cumulative minus the number of deaths plus the number of recovered.

According to the Bladen County Health Department’s latest update, there have been a total of two (2) COVID-19 related deaths with 150 presumed recovered.

East Arcadia Senior Resource Center located at 1472 B East Arcadia Road in East Arcadia, NC will hold a COVID-19 testing drive-thru event tomorrow, June 17, 2020, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Baldwin Branch Presents COVID-19 Testing will be held in Elizabethtown at Baldwin Branch Missionary Baptist Church. In collaboration with Goshen Medical Center. It presents a free “drive-through only” COVID-19 Testing 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2020. Everyone must register to be tested. Registration forms are available 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. on location at WBLA 1440 da Branch Radio Station, 512

Peanut Road, Elizabethtown, NC. Individuals have until June 23 rd to obtain the form. Testing will be done at the church’s location: 4047 NC 242 Highway South, Elizabethtown, NC. Rev. Dr. Louie Boykin is the pastor.

A drive-thru testing site is operating in the Walmart parking lot located at 1347 W. Broad St., Elizabethtown, NC on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 7:00 am- 9:00 am. The site is supported by Walmart, eTrueNorth, state, and local officials to test anyone who meets CDC, state, and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers, and others with symptoms of COVID-19, and those in high-risk groups without symptoms. Those interested in being tested need to visit www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com to see if they are eligible for testing and make an appointment.

  • CommWell Health (1-910-567-7114 or 1-877-WELL-ALL (935-5255) continues to test in Tar Heel, Monday-Friday, times vary.
  • Robeson Health Care Corporation is testing at the St. Pauls site (910-241-30420), times vary.
  • Cape Fear Valley-Bladen Clinics and Express Care offer testing (Bladenboro, Clarkton, Dublin, Elizabethtown, and White Lake) for anyone exhibiting symptoms or those in high-risk groups without symptoms, after a visit with the provider on duty. Contact the clinic located in your area for further information:
  • Bladenboro 910-863-3138
  • Clarkton 910-862-1217
  • Dublin 910-862-3528
  • Elizabethtown 910-862-5500
  • White Lake 910-862-1265
  • Express Care 910-862-2122

Bladen cases have been linked to social gatherings, work, travel, and community-acquired (unknown source). Bladen County residents are vulnerable to getting or spreading the virus. In addition to fever, cough, and shortness of breath, the CDC added symptoms for the coronavirus: chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, and a new, loss of taste. There is no vaccine for the virus.

Increased testing, including for those without symptoms, expanded contact tracing, and adherence to control measures like self-isolation and quarantine, are important to control viral transmission across the state.  

Guidelines for testing include:

– Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.

– Close contacts of known positive cases, regardless of symptoms.

– Populations with a higher risk of exposure or a higher risk of severe disease if they become infected if they believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms.

  • People who live in or have regular contact with high-risk settings (e.g., long-term care facility, homeless shelter, correctional facility, migrant farmworker camp)
  • Historically marginalized populations
  • Frontline and essential workers (grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, child care workers, construction sites, processing plants, etc.) in settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain
  • People who are at high risk of severe illness (e.g. people over 65 years of age, people of any age with underlying health conditions
  • People who have attended protests, rallies, or other mass gatherings could have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or could have exposed others. Testing should be considered for people who attended such events, particularly if they were in crowds or other situations where they couldn’t practice effective social distancing.
  • Bladen County Health Department continues to follow CDC and NCDHHS recommendations to protect public health and prevent the further spread of infection.

If you believe that you may have COVID-19, please call your health care provider, or the Health Department call center: 910-872-6291. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, until further notice. Individuals may also call 2-1-1. This NCDHHS call center is available 24/7, in English and Spanish. Updates are routinely posted on the Health Department Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BladenHHS/, and the NCHDDS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ncdhhs/ 

Wear, Wait, Wash!

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