Critical COVID Spread In NC County With Lagging Vaccination Rate

IREDELL COUNTY, NC — Bladen County, where the vaccination rate is lagging behind the rest of the state, is becoming a COVID-19 hotspot. The county is experiencing critical viral spread of the coronavirus, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Friday in an update to its County Alert System.

The news comes as Bladen County reports a vaccination rate of only 33 percent.

"Areas with low vaccination rates have seen increased COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths," DHHS said. "In the past three weeks, nearly 60 percent of new cases in Bladen County have been associated with a COVID-19 cluster in one zip code, the Bladenboro community. At this time, there have been approximately 81 cases and one death linked to the Bladenboro area."

In Iredell County, where 38 percent of the population is vaccinated with at least one dose, there is significant community spread of COVID-19, according to DHHS.

"What’s happening in Bladen County is preventable," said DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen. "More than 99 percent of new COVID-19 cases in North Carolina are in people who are not fully vaccinated. Vaccines are working."

According to the current County Alert System, 35 counties in the state have significant community spread, 49 counties have moderate community spread and 15 counties have low community spread.

SEE ALSO: New COVID-19 Delta Variant Rapidly Spreading Throughout NC

The new Delta variant of coronavirus increases the urgency for people to get vaccinated, as it spreads rapidly throughout the U.S. and North Carolina, state health officials say.

"Early studies have also shown a possible increased risk of hospitalization in people infected with the Delta variant. The currently available COVID-19 vaccines are the best protection against the virus and its variants," DHHS said.

"This new, dangerous variant that continues to emerge -- it’s now the most common variant in America and here. And unvaccinated people are incredibly vulnerable," President Joe Biden said Thursday evening in Raleigh during a tour of a community vaccination site. "This is a serious concern with what experts call the 'Delta' variant."

Between 10 to 20 percent of all cases in the last two weeks have been the Delta variant, Biden said, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Biden's visit comes as North Carolina, along with many other states, struggle to increase vaccination rates among residents to meet his goal of having 70 percent of adults vaccinated with at least one dose by July 4.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 66 percent of adults in the U.S. had at least one vaccination.

As of Friday, North Carolina reported about 55 percent of adults in the state have had at least one dose of vaccine, and about 52 percent of adults were fully vaccinated.