Cape Fear Valley Health discusses decision to mandate COVID-19 vaccine for all employees

The Cape Fear Valley Health Board of Trustees discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines Tuesday during a meeting, which helped lead to Thursday’s announcement that vaccines are now mandated for all employees, a health system spokeswoman said.

Cape Fear Valley Health’s decision to mandate the COVID-19 vaccines for all employees was supported by the North Carolina Healthcare Association, said Chaka Jordan, vice president of marketing and communications.

The decision to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all employees was due to the rising trend in positive COVID-19 cases and the delta variant, she said. 

“We know that vaccines are our best defense against the COVID-19 pandemic," Jordan said. 

Virus surge:Cumberland County’s positive COVID-19 cases have increased to 15%

In Cumberland County, 330 people have died because of COVID-19, with a total of 32,397 COVID-19 cases, according to Chief Operations Officer Daniel Weatherly. Fifteen of those cases have been in the last six weeks, Jennifer Green, director of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health, said Monday.

Out of those 32,397 COVID-19 cases in the county, 3,235 were inpatients at Cape Fear Valley Health.

During the COVID-19 update presentation, he said that 97% of current hospitalized patients are unvaccinated, resulting in a total of 903 COVID-19-related hospital visits at Cape Fear Valley Health in July.

Since the start of the pandemic, 323 people have died as a result of COVID-19 at Cape Fear Valley Health, Weatherly said.

'This is a matter of public health and not politics':  Gov. Cooper, COVID-19 and Cumberland County

About 57% of Cape Fear Valley employees are vaccinated, he said. A total of 60 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the year, with 31 of those cases taking place in July.  

“The delta variant is highly contagious,” Weatherly said.

Employees, physicians, students, vendors and volunteers have until Oct. 1 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Only exemptions for medical or religious reasons will be accepted.

Health and education writer Ariana-Jasmine Castrellon can be reached at acastrellon@gannett.com or 910-486-3561.

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