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From the Council Office of Steve Rao
February 8, 2021
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North Carolina only 17 deaths away from 10,000
and 4,000 Cases Shy of 800,000.
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Brady wins 7th Superbowl!
Tampa Bay Prevails and Bruce Ahrens becomes oldest coach to win Superbowl!
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Morrisville Aquatics Center and Cedar Folk Community Center opens Feb 15th.
(See MAFC Section and Operations Section for Details)
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Wake County Schools Return to In Person on Feb. 15th
UNC Chapel Hill Students Back to In Person School Today.
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Visit Brier Creek Park, Tarboro Road Park, or Method Community Park to receive a quick, easy, and free test. Testing begins at 11 a.m for these hotspot Covid areas.
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President Biden committed to $1.9 trillion Stimulus Relief Bill/Democrats include $3000.00 child tax credit.
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Trump’s second impeachment trial begins tomorrow.
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Wake County: Wake County Public Health Vaccine Hotline 919-250-1515. It is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit website at https://covid19.wakegov.com/vaccine!
Duke Raleigh Hospital at (19) 620- 5167.
Process is to Call or visit website, join the waiting list, receive notification, and get your Vaccination Appointment!
Walgreens will offer Covid 19 Vaccine in 300 Stores (31,200 doses) in North Carolina starting on Feb 12 as a distributor under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and is planning to distribute 1 million doses of the Moderna Vaccine. For more information, sign up at walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19.
(See Wake County Mass Vaccination Information Below)
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Wake County Mass Vaccination AT PNC Arena |
Wake County Public Health is collaborating with UNC Health, Duke, and Wake Med to launch a mass vaccination site starting Feb. 11. And the site will be open six days per week. at PNC Arena, the home of the Carolina Hurricanes and NC State University Men’s Basketball, agreed to turn its 8,000-space parking lot into an appointment only drive-thru vaccine clinic.
The site will begin with two days of vaccinations next week, with the goal of inviting more than 2,100 health care workers and those 65 and older from the county’s growing COVID-19 vaccine waitlist.
Appointments are required to receive a vaccination, and vaccinations will not be available without confirmation of a spot. Starting Friday, health care workers and those over 65 years of age, will be notified by email, phone and text.
- First link is to Enroll and sign up at https://covid-vaccine-portal.ncdhhs.gov/s/
- The second link is to make an appointment to receive the vaccine. Printing out appointment information or taking a screenshot on a smartphone will speed up the check-in process at the site.
In addition to the more than 2,000 appointments available at the new appointment only drive-thru site next week:
- 3,500 appointments will be made at the county’s two indoor locations (Wake County Public Health Center and the Wake County Commons Building).
- 200 vaccines will be administered by Wake County strike teams dispatched to long-term residents and staff.
- 800 vaccines will be delivered to historically marginalized populations by mobile strike teams heading out into the community.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
- Take Edwards Mill Bus 26 to the stop at Edwards Mill Road at Trinity Road Northbound; or
- Take Blue Ridge Bus 27 to the stop at Blue Ridge Road at Westchase Boulevard Southbound
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WAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS RETURN TO IN PERSON |
The Wake County Public School System will allow Pre-K through third graders to come back to school for daily in-person learning on Feb. 15. The decision passed by an 8-1 vote on Tuesday night. Grades 4 and 5 will meet in person in three-week rotations as will many middle and high school students. Special education regional programs will meet for daily in-person learning. The move comes a day after Gov. Cooper and other state officials urged school districts to let students back into the classroom |
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Governor Cooper Proposes 4 Billion Covid 19 Relief Bill |
General Assembly back in Session:
Included in the plan are one-time bonuses for educators, including $2,500 for teachers and principals, $1,500 for school personnel, and $2,000 for workers in community colleges and universities. Cooper added that educators are the only state employees that didn't receive a pay raise last year.
Also included is funding to expand child care access, funding for food assistance and $30 million to expand high-speed internet access, $1.6 billion to help reopen schools and improve technology to help close learning gaps, $546 million for rent assistance, $95 million for the state health department to help with vaccine distribution.
The state is on track to receive more than 145,000 new first doses over the next three weeks from the federal government
Cooper also announced state unemployment benefits would increase to a maximum of $500 per week, for a maximum of 26 weeks.
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GOVERNOR COOPER EXTENDS STAY AT HOME ORDER |
Governor Roy Cooper has the current modified Stay-At-Home order until Feb. 28and plans to keep the eviction moratorium and statewide order allowing to-go mixed drinks sales in place through March.
In early December, Gov. Cooper announced the modified Stay-At-Home order, which was the first set of such restrictions since Memorial Day. The order was extended for three weeks in early January.
The order imposes measures closing non-essential businesses like gyms, restaurants and retail at 10 p.m. nightly, and allowing them to reopen at 5 a.m.
The restrictions also included moving the alcohol curfew to 9 p.m. Gov. Cooper extends the sale of to-go mixed drinks will be in effect until March 31. That order was originally issued on Dec. 22 and seeks to reduce the number of people gathering in bars while allowing businesses to increase revenue. |
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TOWN OF MORRISVILLE OPERATIONS AFFECTED BY STAY AT HOME ORDER |
Today Gov. Roy Cooper announced the latest extension of the Modified Stay at Home Order. Executive Order 189 outlines the details of the extended Order.
The following changes to Town of Morrisville operations will be in place through February 28:
- Town of Morrisville offices will be closed to the public.
- Town Council meetings (and the February 11 Planning & Zoning Board meeting) will be completely virtual.
The Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center and Cedar Fork Community Center will be closed until at least February 12. No outdoor classes will be conducted, but virtual programming will be available (parks, greenways, tennis courts and the Healthy Food Hub will remain open).
Town staff will continue to work mostly remotely, with a limited number of employees in Town buildings.
If there is a spike in infections, tightening of restrictions may be needed temporarily.
Morrisville residents who have non-emergency questions about issues specific to the Town of Morrisville can contact the Town’s Community Information Line at 919-463-7065 or by email at eoc@townofmorrisville.org.
Town leaders will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with the Wake County Public Health Division and the State of North Carolina.
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MECKLENBERG COUNTY VACCINE INFORMATION |
Information from Rep. Kelly Alexander:
Right now, frontline healthcare workers and adults 65 and over are eligible to receive the vaccine. This week, the state government has shifted strategy to mass vaccinations in large public spaces. They already had a mass event at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend that vaccinated approximately 16,000 people.
Currently, the only mass vaccination event that is still open for appointments is through Atrium Health at the Bank of America stadium.
PLEASE SCHEDULE AS SOON AS YOU CAN; spots are filling up quickly. The vaccine is FREE.
These are the days and times available:
Dose 1:
— Friday, January 29, 8AM-1PM
— Saturday, January 30, 8AM-6PM
— Sunday, January 31, 8AM-6PM
Dose 2:
— Friday, February 26 to Sunday, February 28 (no times listed)
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THE BIDEN IMMIGRATION PLAN |
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The Biden administration has announced a slew of new actions on immigration, including a comprehensive immigration reform bill that was sent to Congress just hours after inauguration.
Here's what we know so far:
A new comprehensive immigration bill is headed to Congress. It includes:
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A path to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants
- Dreamers, TPS holders, and some farmworkers will qualify for green cards immediately and can apply for citizenship after 3 years
- All other undocumented immigrants who pass background checks and pay taxes will have an 8-year path to citizenship without fear of deportation and with work authorization in the meantime
- Reforms to the family-based immigration system to keep families together, like
- Recapturing visas from previous years to clear backlogs
- Eliminating the 3 and 10 year bars
- Including spouses and children of green card holders as immediate family members, not subject to the cap
- Increasing per-country caps for family-based immigrants
- Reforms to the employment-based immigration system, like
- Recapturing visas from previous years to clear backlogs
- Eliminating per-country caps
- Making it easier for STEM advanced degree holders from U.S. universities to stay
- Improving access to green cards for workers in lower-wage industries
- Giving dependents of H-1B holders work authorization and preventing children of H-1B holders from aging out of the system
- Funding for immigrant integration initiatives
- State/local governments, NGOs, and other community organizations will receive funding for Inclusion programs, English language assistance, and naturalization resources
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Increasing Diversity visas to 80,000 per year (from 55,000)
- Stopping future Presidents from taking discriminatory actions such as the ‘Muslim travel ban’
- A pilot program aimed at utilizing immigration to meet regional economic needs
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Protecting workers, including seasonal workers, from exploitation and improving the e-verify process
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Reforming border security by providing additional resources, better technology, and better infrastructure, among other things
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Addressing the root causes of migration, while improving immigration courts and increasing protections for asylum seekers
The following Executive Orders have already been signed:
- Ensuring the Census counts everyone, regardless of immigration status
- Affirming DACA protections
- Rescission of the Muslim and African travel bans
- Rescission of the Trump enforcement Executive Order signed four years ago
- Reinstating DED for Liberians
- Stopping border wall construction
- Announcing a moratorium on deportations for 100 days for noncitizens who arrived before Nov, 2020, along with a department-wide review of all enforcement practices
- Terminating enrollments in the MPP program (aka ‘Remain in Mexico’ program for asylum seekers)
- Create a task force to reunite families that have been separated at the border:
- Develop a strategy to address migration across the border and to reform the asylum system:
- Increase in the annual refugee cap and renewed support for resettlement
- Rescission of the Trump Administration’s reinterpretation of the Public Charge rule that bars immigrants deemed likely to use government benefits from getting on the path to citizenship
Here’s what you can do to help:
- Reach out to your Congressman and Senators to encourage them to pass the US Citizenship Act.
- Reach out to me at sr@steverao.com with your ideas on how we can bring our communities together to address this issue.
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Thanks for attending Morrisville Black History Lecture with Ernie Dollar. |
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Thanks for attending Wake County Schools Town Hall with Chris Heagarty. |
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Feb 9th - 6pm Virtual Town Council Meeting |
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Feb 11th 6pm Planning and Zoning Meeting |
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Feb 11th 9-10:15 am, St. Michaels’ Career Ministry State of the Triangle Job Market |
Feb 11th 9: 10: 15 am, St. Michaels’ Career Ministry Hosts State of the Triangle Job Market with Tricia Lucas, Co- Founder Lucas Select!
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Feb 15th – Feb 18th 2021 Reconnect for the Future |
Feb 15th – Feb 18th 2021 Reconnect for the Future,
A Virtual Emerging Issues Forum
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Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Mirchi for another update on local issues.
99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!
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Join us every Friday on World Edition at 10 am for the Great America Project Panel where we discuss how we rebuild Americas' image with leaders from around the country and world.
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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/.
- 1,430,160 NC citizens have applied for UI Benefits, 955,842 have been paid benefits, and $9.7 billion of benefits have been issued. Appeals of denied jobless benefits are taking many months.
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Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/.
North Carolina is reporting 4,674 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 796,195.
Throughout the state, 57 more people have died from the virus, bringing the total to 9,983.
With 95 percent of hospitals reporting, 2,378 are being hospitalized with COVID-19. That is down 90.
The state is reporting a 7.4% positive test rate. That is down slightly from Saturday's 7.8%.
CASES:
4,674 Newly reported Cases
+ N.C. = 796,195 Cases (Deaths = 9,983)
+ 7.4% Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 68,893 Cases (Deaths = 495)
+ Durham County = 20,100 Cases (Deaths = 181)
+ Orange County = 7,127 Cases (Deaths = 87)
+ US = 26.6 million Cases/451,000 deaths
+ Worldwide = 105 million/2.28 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 9,265,806
+ 2,378 Hospitalized
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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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See what's happening on our social sites: |
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