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TRAVEL UPDATE
and Giving Tuesday Edition
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From the Council Office of Steve Rao
December 1, 2020
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Covid 19 in NC Positivity Rate Reaches 10.1 %
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NC free Covid Vaccine Alert
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Governor Cooper says a free Covid Vaccine will be available to anyone in NC who wants it.
(See NC Vaccine Section)
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Moderna follows Pfizer to seek FDA Emergency Use Authorization. Vaccines could be available for use by Dec. 13.
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Travel News Alert - India
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India Restricts International Travel until Dec. 31 (Read Below for more Detail)
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Important Upcoming Events
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Dec 2 Noon - New American Economy Immigration Fireside Chat with Jeremy Robbins
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Morrisville Town Council Member Steve Rao hosts a Fireside Chat with Jeremy Robbins, CEO of New American Economy and other elected leaders to discuss immigration policy in a Biden Administration and our plans for the future.
During this Fireside chat, we will be looking at the economic impact of immigrants in NC, their contributions during a pandemic, and what specific actions we can take to ensure that we have an immigration system, which continues to lure the best and brightest to our nation, creates jobs, and strengthens our economy.
The Fireside Chat starts at Noon EST on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.
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DEC 3rd 11 am Reigniting the American Economic Engine
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DEC 3 11 am Reigniting the American Economic Engine: Immigration Solutions for 2021
Join elected leaders, community leaders advocates and Senators Chuck Schumer (D- NY) and Jon Cornyn (R- Tx) for an engaging discussion on how we achieve comprehensive immigration reform.
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On Tuesday, I hope you were able to donate to a non profit for Giving Tuesday.
Please continue to celebrate Giving Tuesday with the New American Economy to support our Immigrant Entrepreneurs at the New American Festival!
Find and support a local entrepreneur!
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TIM HUMPHREY NAMED NC TECH ASSOCIATION TECH EXEC OF THE YEAR!
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Congrats to Tim Humphrey for his selection by the NC Tech Association as Tech Exec of the Year. Tim is a community driven leader, and is doing great things at IBM as the Site Manager for RTP. We are working to schedule a Radio Interview with him in a few weeks.
Congratulations Tim!
Check out Awards Winners at
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President Elect Biden appoints Neera Tanden as the Director of Office of Management and Budget and Cecilia Rouse as Chair of White House Council of Economic Advisors.
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Supreme Court sides with religious organizations 5-4 over NY Covid Restrictions.
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Deadline for Elementary School Students for Virtual Academy is Dec 2- Dec.9th.
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Wake County Covid Testing News
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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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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
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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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COOPER OFFERS FREE NC Vaccine
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At his Press Conference today, 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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NORTH CAROLINA TURNS HEAT ON FOR SENIORS
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As temperatures drop, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will issue automated payments to help seniors and those with disabilities keep the heat on. The state's Low-Income Energy Assistance Program will help eligible households pay their utility bills. The program begins Tuesday, Dec. 1, and is available to those who:
- are age 60 or older or a person with a disability receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services
- Anyone who currently receives Food and Nutrition Services and
- Anyone who received LIEAP during the 2019-2020 season
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GOVERNOR COOPER MASK MANDATE
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The new guidance says masks should be worn at all times when indoors in public places. Those exercising in gyms will now have to wear masks while working out. In restaurants, masks should be worn at all times except when eating or drinking. Previously, masks only had to be worn if keeping a six-foot distance from other people was not possible.
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TOWN OF MORRISVILLE MASK ENFORCEMENT
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In line with the Governors’ Executive Order, the Town of Morrisville is updating our face covering requirement as follows:
- All Town staff will wear a face covering anytime they are inside any Town facility unless working alone in their specific assigned work space. Face coverings must be worn to get to and from and at any time you leave your assigned work space.
- All Town staff will wear a face covering for any in-person meeting regardless of social distancing.
- All Town staff will wear a face covering anytime they are inside a Town vehicle with another person.
- Elected and appointed officials and visitors to Town facilities are asked to follow these same requirements.
These requirements go into effect at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, November 24.
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Morrisville Fitness and Aquatics Center Mask Mandate
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Our facility plans to reopen Friday, November 27, following the Thanksgiving holiday, and it is expected that all members abide by these new policies beginning that day.
The new rules are as follows:
- A face covering will now be required in all indoor settings, regardless of social distancing.
- Face coverings will be REQUIRED during exercise, meaning that they must remain on when participating in an indoor fitness class and/or when using the cardio deck, the weight room and the racquetball courts.
- Face coverings may ONLY be removed when swimming or showering, but must be worn immediately before and after.
- Any refusal by an individual to comply with the above policies will result in removal from the facility.
- Outdoor activities will not require a face covering, unless social distancing is not possible.
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Wake County Schools Spring Return To School Plan
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Wake County Schools will be meeting today to discuss the Spring Back To School Program.
All Wake County public school students will be back in the classroom starting spring semester.
The Wake County Board of Education approved the following plan this week:
- Pre-kindergarten to fifth grade will remain in full-time in-person instruction
- Middle schools will stay in three-week rotations with one week in the classroom and two weeks in remote learning
- High schools will move from remote learning to three-week rotations
- The school district will continue to have its online-only Virtual Academy for spring semester, which will help keep schools from being at full capacity.
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Message from Chris Heagarty:
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Join me at 4 pm on Radio Mirchi for a Fireside Chat Interview with Clarence Anthony, CEO, National League of Cities. 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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December 1st Town of Morrisville Work Session
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Dec 1st 8:30 am Morrisville Chamber State of Morrisville Event
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DEC 2 4pm - NC RIOT Accelerator Program
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DEC 2 NC RIOT Accelerator Program Information Session at 4pm
https://www.meetup.com/RIoT-NC/events/274365480/
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Dec. 3 | 3 p.m. - Partnering for Growth: A Webinar from North Carolina Municipal Services
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North Carolina Municipal Services, a Bernhard Capital Partners company, is partnering with municipalities across the state by investing in their local infrastructure, supporting important environmental and social initiatives, and developing innovative solutions in the face of pressing budgetary challenges and needs.
Attend their webinar Dec. 3 to learn about the innovative funding solutions they provide for infrastructure through Public Private Partnerships with cities and towns.
Register at:
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December 9th: RTCC Cleantech Innovation Awards:
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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
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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.
More than 2,000 people in North Carolina are hospitalized because of COVID-19 for the first time since the virus was declared a pandemic in March.
With 97% of hospitals reporting to the state, there are 2,033 patients that are in the hospital due to COVID-19. The state hit another concerning benchmark in Tuesday's report as the daily positive percent rate hit 10.2%.
Last week, the daily positive percent rate averaged around 7.4%. The state's goal, which it was achieving earlier in the pandemic, is 5%.
There were 2,883 new reported cases and 23 more deaths reported.
CASES:
2,883 New Cases
+ N.C. = 367,395 Cases (Deaths = 5,284)
+ 10.1 %Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 28,758 Cases (Deaths = 289)
+ US = 13.6 million Cases/268K deaths
+ Worldwide = 63. 4 million/1.47 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 5,295,290
+ 2,000 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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See what's happening on our social sites:
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