Last week the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported a congregate living outbreak in Bladen County. The State lists congregate living settings in different categories, such as nursing homes, residential care facilities, correctional facilities, and also has another category labeled ‘other’. The other category’s meaning is not well defined.
Bladen County Health and Human Services Director, Dr. Teresa (Terri) Duncan stated the outbreak reported by the NCDHHS is not in a local nursing home, residential care facilities, or a correctional facility. She said, “It falls in the ‘other’ category.”An outbreak means two or more confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The NCDHHS reports the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living settings every Tuesday and Friday by 4 p.m.
At this time, there is one report of a congregate living outbreak in Bladen County, but again, it is not in a nursing home or a correctional facility, according to Dr. Ducan. There are a total of 105 COVID-19 cases reported in Bladen County with two deaths and There are more testing sites scheduled thanks to Dr. Duncan, local faith-based leaders, and health care providers. Rev. Dr. Pearly Hoskins of the Carvers Creek area helped organize a testing site at the Baltimore Center last week. The site captured 118 tests in the pouring rain, according to Dr. Duncan.
Rev. Anthony Henry of the Clarkton area has been in contact with five churches to help promote this week’s testing site. Free testing will be provided at Booker T. Washington School. The school is located at 66 Booker T. Washington Road in Clarkton, NC. The testing event will take place on Wednesday, June 3, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 pm.
Dr. Duncan announced two more testing sites had been scheduled. New Hope Church, located on White Plains Church Road, will hold a testing event on June 11, 2020, and East Arcadia Senior Center will hold an event on June 18, 2020.
More information about the events will be published as soon as it is made available.
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