Have A Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!
It is important to celebrate Thanksgiving responsibly during the COVID-19 Pandemic. With the recent increase in cases, we all must be mindful of our behavior and our vulnerable loved ones.
If you choose to attend a gathering, make your celebration safer. In addition to following the steps that everyone can take to make Thanksgiving safer, take these additional steps if attending or hosting a Thanksgiving gathering:

  • Have a small outdoor meal with family and friends who live in your community.
  • Limit the number of guests.
  • Have conversations with guests ahead of time to set expectations for celebrating together.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and items between use.
  • If celebrating indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible. You can use a window fan in one of the open windows to blow air out of the window. This will pull fresh air in through the other open windows.
  • Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
  • Have guests bring their own food and drink.
  • If sharing food, have one person serve food and use single-use options, like plastic utensils.
Our Haywood County Medical Director, Dr. Mark Jaben, has also published an informative video to help us celebrate safer. I encourage you to watch and share it widely.

Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!
Expanded COVID-19 Testing
This weekend, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is offering more than 120 no-cost COVID-19 community testing events, including new locations in partnership with retailers to help North Carolinians protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities as they prepare for Thanksgiving. 

In addition to existing testing events throughout the state, grocery stores in Buncombe County will be providing testing centers. Select IGA, Compare Foods, Food Lions, Ingles Markets, and Targets will have walk-up and drive-thru testing.
For a full list of all testing event times and locations throughout the state, visit the No-Cost Community Testing Events page on the NCDHHS website. More locations are being added each day. Additional testing sites can be found at Find My Testing Place.

Anyone can get tested for COVID-19 at the events. People without insurance are eligible for testing and identification documents are not required. Children and adults may be tested, but a parent or legal guardian must be present with anyone 17 and younger.
Extra Credit Grant Extension
The Extra Credit Grant Program authorized as part of the Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0 was passed by the N.C. Legislature in September. Its purpose was to offer a one-time payment of $335 to assist families with children younger than 17 as of January 1, 2020 “with virtual schooling and child-care costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The deadline for this grant was recently extended until December 7th. If you filed a tax return in 2019, you don't have to apply, but if you or someone you know didn't and wishes to receive the grant, they should use the link below.

I encourage you to share this information widely, those who need financial assistance during the pandemic could make great use of this grant.

Joe Sam's Notes
Until we speak again, stay safe and help those around you do likewise. Remember that we're all in this together and we will all get through it together. Hopefully even better.
If you or a loved one is concerned about your health, the numbers for each of District 119's Health Departments are listed below:

Haywood - (828) 452-6620
Jackson - (828) 586-8994
Swain - (828) 488-3198

Gratefully yours,
Please share this with your friends!

P.S. check out our legislative web page at www.joesamqueennc.com. You can find all of my previous newsletters and more!