North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Secretary of the state health department Dr. Mandy Cohen visited Chapel Hill on Thursday to see frontline health care workers receive their COVID-19 vaccines.

UNC Health staff at the Medical Center in Chapel Hill have been receiving initial doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine since Tuesday, one of 11 hospitals around the state that has received doses  earlier this week. The governor’s office says 42 additional hospitals were expected to receive shipments of the vaccine on Thursday. The health care workers receiving shots are those who most often interact with COVID-19 patients, qualifying them for Phase 1A of the vaccine distribution.

“I am grateful for these health care workers who have worked tirelessly and put their lives at risk for months to care for patients with this virus,” Cooper said. “It’s a tremendous relief that this vaccine can soon provide an extra layer of protection as they do their jobs.”

The distribution of the initial COVID-19 vaccine comes at a time when North Carolina hospitals are seeing soaring numbers of patients admitted due to the coronavirus. Thursday marked a third straight day of record-high hospitalizations, as 2,804 people across the state are reported as battling complications from COVID-19 in hospitals. At least 64% of hospital beds are reported as full in North Carolina.

Gov. Roy Cooper, center, speaks during a press conference at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, NC Thursday, Dec. 7, 2020 where frontline healthcare workers are among some of the first recipients of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo via Travis Long / News & Observer)

CEO of UNC Health Dr. Wesley Burks said his staff are among the millions of people who had anticipated receiving this first COVID-19 vaccine, with the health system participating in clinical trial work, testing development and clinical treatment.

“We are extremely pleased to have our vaccination clinics set up and operational across the state,” he said, “so that we may offer this important tool in the fight against COVID-19, and remain deeply grateful to Governor Cooper for his role in leading us to this point.”

Photo via Travis Long / News & Observer.

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