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From the Council Office of Steve Rao
December 5, 2020
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The Town of Morrisville lights the Holiday Tree! |
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Fount Coffee Celebrates 2 years in Morrisville!
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IN MEMORIAM for Kevin Dodson |
We pray for the family of Lee County Commissioner Kevin Dodson who lost his life due to Covid 19 this week.
Dodson was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2016 and served as vice chairman from December 2018 through November 2019. During his tenure, he also served on the Sanford Area Growth Alliance Board, Sandhills Mental Health Board, Interlocal Committee, Fire Advisory Board, Joint Planning Commission and the Triangle J Council of Governments
Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers and join me in offering sincere condolences during this very difficult time.
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North Carolina shatters top Covid 19 infection record by over 1,000 with 5,637 new cases and 2,137 Hospitalizations. |
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President Elect Biden News |
Biden will make Masks Mandatory for first 100 days and asks Fauci to stay on and serve as Chief Medical Advisor. |
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Governor Cooper - Covid19 News |
Governor Cooper will make Covid Vaccine free to any NC, who wants it.
First 85,000 doses of Pfizer Vaccine could be send to NC by Dec 15th.
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Former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton will take vaccine on TV. |
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Wake County Schools - Virtual Academy |
Deadline for Elementary School Students for Virtual Academy is Dec 2- Dec.9th.
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Wake County makes it easier to Get Covid Testing. (See Testing Section) |
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India Restricts International Flights until Dec. 31. |
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Join me every Sunday on Leaders Radio Mirchi! 99.9 FM, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM |
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Join me Monday at 10 am on International Broadcast Media TV for a global for World Edition, an update on global politics.
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Biden Should Change Immigration Policies to Bring More Skilled Workers to NC |
Please enjoy my insights on immigration shared with the Raleigh News Observer and WRAL Tech Wire: |
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Immigration Fireside Chat with Jeremy Robbins |
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Biden and Harris Ready to Lead the Nation Out of a Dark Winter |
President-elect Joe Biden told CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday that he will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days after he takes office, in a sign of how Biden's approach to the virus will be dramatically different from President Donald Trump's response. Biden said that where he has authority, like in federal buildings or in interstate transportation on airplanes and buses, he will issue a standing order that masks must be worn.
The wide-ranging conversation with Biden, his first joint interview with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris since winning the election, comes at a key time, as they build their administration and outline the policy priorities that will define their first year in office. And it comes as coronavirus cases and deaths have reached their highest levels to date, all while Trump is largely ignoring the dire moment and focusing almost exclusively on baselessly attacking the results of the election.
The coronavirus pandemic has dominated Biden's transition, and the former vice president acknowledged that it will do the same during his first year in office, telling CNN that he has asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, to be a chief medical adviser and part of his Covid-19 response team when his administration begins next month.
Biden supports Congress passing a compromise coronavirus relief package before he takes office, and noted that a handful of Republican senators have reached out to congratulate him, despite many not publicly acknowledging his victory. Both Biden and Harris also reemphasized their transition's commitment to a diverse Cabinet as a range of advocacy groups and lawmakers have begun pushing them to honor their pledge.
Biden laughed at a question about whether it is important for Trump to attend his presidential inauguration in January. Biden said whether to attend was Trump's decision but was very important to demonstrate a peaceful transition of power to the world.
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India restricts international flights until Dec. 31. |
International flights to and from India have been suspended till December 31 this year in view of the coronavirus pandemic and planes will fly only on select routes on a case-to-case basis, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a circular on Thursday. The restrictions, however, are not applicable to international all-cargo operations and flights specially approved by the DGCA, it added.
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WAKE COUNTY COVID 19 TESTING PROCESS MADE EASIER |
Wake County is also opening a new COVID-19 testing site on Tuesday. The site is at 5809 Departure Drive in Raleigh. Tests are available from Tuesday until Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. this week. You do not need to register to receive a test.
Tests are also still available at the Sunnybrook parking deck at 2925 Holston Ln. in Raleigh.
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Last week, Governor Cooper announced that the Covid 19 Vaccine will be free to anyone who wants it.
As soon as the FDA grants approval for the use of any vaccine, the state is expecting to receive more about 85,000 doses.
It will first be given to health care workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities who treat or work with COVID patients and those who clean areas where COVID patients are present. The state estimates that population at up to 161,000 people.
As additional vaccines are approved, the state will get additional allocations and will expand distribution to others.
The second group targeted by the state will be residents of long-term care, people over the age of 65 who live in crowded situations such as jails and homeless shelters, and other adults who have two or more chronic conditions that put them at greater risk for a severe case of the coronavirus. That group is estimated to number up to 951,000.
Vaccinating the rest of those at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 will encompass another 1 to 1.5 million people – everyone over 65, those under 65 in crowded situations or who work in frontline jobs and don't have two or more chronic conditions.
The third phase makes vaccine available to anyone in an essential position, according to the state "workers in industries critical to societal functioning," and students in K-12 schools and colleges and universities.
The final phase would include the remainder of the North Carolina population.
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NCDHHS LAUNCHES PILOT FOR K-12 Covid 19 Testing |
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching a pilot program to deploy COVID-19 testing in K-12 public schools to quickly identify students and staff who may have the virus to help slow its spread.
Local education agencies including public school districts, charter school networks or individual charter schools currently offering any in-person instruction - either Plan A or Plan B - are eligible to apply. Selected pilot sites will receive federally funded rapid antigen tests to be used for students and staff with COVID-19 symptoms or who are close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
To apply for the program, local education agencies must submit a readiness checklist for each participating school to their local health department. The checklist confirms that a school can meet the program's requirements, including obtaining parental/guardian consent prior to testing, maintaining adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, having trained personnel to administer tests or partnering with a local health provider, and reporting test results to state and local public health agencies. Following review of the readiness checklists, the local health department then submits the application to NCDHHS on behalf of the local education agency.
Pilot applications are due December 8. NCDHHS will select pilot sites based on the pool of eligible applicants. NCDHHS will deliver the rapid tests to pilot sites at no cost to the sites as soon as December 14.
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Dec 5th 10am - NCINPAC and HSNC |
Dec 5th NCINPAC and HSNC Senior Club Hosts Black Reparations Seminar at 10 am.
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Dec 5th for a Barbershop Rap Session |
Join us on Dec 5th for a Barbershop Rap Session as we reflect on 2020.
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Dec 6th Hindu Society of NC Virtual Annual Gala |
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Dec 7 Wake County Commissioners Virtual Meeting 5 pm |
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December 8th Town of Morrisville Town Council Meeting |
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December 9th: RTCC Cleantech Innovation Awards: |
Join the second annual Cleantech Innovation Awards, celebrating the individuals and organizations driving cleantech innovation and deployment.
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Morrisville News - Please Participate |
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TOWN OF MORRISVILLE NAMED FINALIST IN THE GLOBAL SMART CITY CHALLENGE |
It is my pleasure to announce that Morrisville has been selected as a finalist for the 2020 Global Smart Cities Readiness Challenge. Morrisville was named as 1 of 10 finalists and will potentially have the opportunity to lead a Readiness Cohort in 2021. We are working with the Communications Department to get this information out to the community so that they can vote for our submission. You can find more information at the link below.
To vote on our submission, you can click on the ‘begin rating process’ button and use the stars under our video on the following page (BIG thanks to Communications for helping put together our finalist video). The rating will submit once you exit the page. Voting is allowed once per day and closes on January 5. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Please consider supporting Morrisville Smart City efforts by giving our plans 5 stars every day until Jan 5th.
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- For latest Covid 19 information, please dial 2-1-1 or 888- 892-1162.
- Get Updates by texting COVIDNC at 898211.
- For unemployment insurance, please visit NC Dept of Employment Security at https://des.nc.gov/.
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Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/.
The latest Centers for Disease Control report predicts somewhere between 294,000 to 321,000 COVID-19 related deaths are possible by Dec. 19.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Friday again saw another record day of hospitalizations with 2,157.
The state saw more than 2,000 in one day for the first time on November 30 and the number has been increasing ever since.
56 more people were hospitalized on Friday than the day before.
Compared to one week ago, 377 more people are hospitalized.
The state's percent of positivity stands at 11.2 percent. Last week at this time it was at 8.7 percent.
5,303 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday. That's the second highest single-day increase so far in the pandemic. Thursday's increase was the highest ever.
CASES:
5,303 New Cases (Daily New Cases Averaging 3,617)
+ N.C. = 373,000 Cases (Deaths = 5,406)
+ 10.1 % Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 29,779 Cases (Deaths = 291)
+ US = 14 million Cases/274K deaths
+ Worldwide = 65 million/1.5 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 5,295,290
+ 2.157 Hospitalizations.
The majority of these hospitalizations are happening in the Triad and Charlotte areas.
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The Capital Region, which includes Wake, Franklin, Johnston, Harnett and Lee counties, has people 133 total people in the hospital, with 37 of them being in ICU.
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The Duke Healthcare region, which includes Durham, Granville, Vance, Warren, Person and Caswell counties, has 148 total people in the hospital, with 36 of them being in ICU.
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The Mid-Carolina Region, which includes Alamance, Orange, Chatham, Moore, Montgomery, Richmond, Hoke, Cumberland and Sampson Counties has 232 total people in the hospital, with 62 of them being in ICU.
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Council Member Rao holds office hours on Friday from 12:00-1:00 PM by appointment only at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville.
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Council Member Steve Rao
Town of Morrisville
Dedicated to transforming Morrisville into an ideal place to work and raise a family!
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