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New Year Update Edition
From the Council Office of Steve Rao
January 3, 2021
Urgent News Alerts
NC reports 18,800 New Covid 19 Cases in first 2 days of 2021, all time record.
US Presidential News Alert
USINPAC Event
Thanks to everyone who attended Leaderspeak Hour to discuss Georgia Senate Races. 

Important Updates


Wake County Schools Virtual from Jan 4 to Jan 15.
Jan 3 Free Covid Testing
Jan 3 Free Covid Testing 10 am to 2 pm at Hindu Society of NC at 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560. 
 
Test is covered with Insurance and all that is required is an Insurance Card, and this is a Nasal Swab Test.  Masks required at all times.  You will be called within 48 hours with results.
Information on the Covid 19 Vaccine rollout
MAFC Virtual Marathon! 
Sign up for the Morrisville MAFC Virtual Marathon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND THE MIRACLE OF MORRISVILLE CONTINUES!
Komal, Sonia, Rayan and I hope you enjoyed safe, quality time with your families during this Holiday Season although we all miss celebrating together in person.   We pray for any families you have lost a loved one or for anyone suffering from illness.  May the light and love of our hearts, always lift us out of the darkness around us.

It has been an honor to serve on the Council for the past decade.   I continue to be amazed at the all of the progress we have made since I was elected, and I am honored to serve on a winning team, that is making the Live Connected/Live Well brand ring true for every citizen and business who calls Morrisville home.
This year, the Town of Morrisville was named as the tenth most livable city in America by Money Magazine!  Number One is just around the corner.  Nothing is impossible, when our Council works with engaged citizens and staff, to execute on major projects and do great work, even during this Pandemic.

A renovated Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center, Wake County Library, a completed McCrimmon Parkway Extension, Wake Competition Ice Rink, a Professional Cricket Team, the commencement of the Morrisville Carpenter Road Project and our Smart City Initiative are just a few examples of the great work being done by our world class Staff and Council.
Parkside Elementary, a proposed Middle School/High School in the 7-year strategic CIP plan, and an early Career High School at Wake Tech RTP also demonstrate the tremendous progress we are making with schools in Morrisville.
Thanks to each of you, we continue to fly to the greatest heights, as the Miracle of Morrisville continues.  Prepare the Cabin for Lift Off!  We are ready for another great year and our own Morrisville Moon Shot!

We wish each of you a very safe and Happy New Year as we look forward to getting back to a new normal in 2021.
Morrisville News
SMART CITY STEERING COMMITTEE APPLICATION PROCESS IS OPEN!
Recruitment for the Morrisville Smart City Steering Committee began on December 14, 2020 and run through January 4, 2021. Specialized recruitment and engagement will be completed during this period to seat 11 members (at least seven technical and four non-technical).

Council is scheduled to be briefed on the item at the January 12 meeting and will receive appointment packets for selection on January 13. Council will be asked to take action appointing any selected applicants at their January 26 meeting.

Term appointments for selected members are recommended to begin February 1, 2021 with appointments being staggered over two- and three-year appointment terms.

Vote for the Town of Morrisville, NC as a Readiness Challenge Winner
The Town of Morrisville plans to use sensors and controls to optimize a Connected Park Initiative and Smart Corridor Initiative.

If your city would like to learn from these projects vote for the Town of Morrisville!  https://smartcitiescouncil.com/article/smart-cities-council-announces-finalists-first-readiness-cohorts-2021

3 things to know about the Town of Morrisville

Follow the link to view all the Finalist videos and VOTE for that city whose projects could help all cities learn.

  • Voting closes on January 5 @ 5 pm ET
  • Readiness Cohort Leaders will be announced on January 11th and will receive a Collaborative Engagement in Q1 - 2021.

Thank you in advance for your participation.
2021 BOND REFERENDUM INPUT

Council is interested in learning how you would best invest tax-supported dollars on major capital improvements to make a difference in our growing community. Capital improvements are major large scale one-time investment projects requiring a form of debt financing to afford. They are not annual recurring operational expenses such as salaries, supplies, programs or professional services.

Please provide your input using the bond portal below to help in the development of ballot questions or project categories for the Morrisville 2021 Bond Referendum. Comments received through the portal will be included in the public record and provided to the Town Council. This is a input portal only. Town staff is not responding to individual comments or questions submitted using this form. If you have specific questions or need clarification related to the bond referendum, please email jhooks@townofmorrisville.org.
STIMULUS RELIEF BILL DETAILS
A second stimulus check of $600.00 are bring deposited in accounts and were sent on Dec. 30th to American citizens.  

No deal on increasing amount to $2000.00. 

Final Details of Current Deal:
  • Direct payment checks of up to $600 per adult and child. 
  • Aid for struggling small businesses, including more than $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans and $15 billion "in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions"
  • Stimulus Checks: $600 for each Adult and for each Dependent.  
  • $300 per week for enhanced unemployment insurance benefits.
  • $325 billion for Small Business ($284 billion for PPP and $20 billion for Economic Injury Assistance Loans) 
  • $25 billion for rental assistance and an eviction moratorium extension. 
  • $82 billion for education providers like schools and colleges, including aid to help reopen classrooms safely.
  • Child care assistance: $10 billion 
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child nutrition benefits: $13 billion 
  • Broadband access to help Americans connect remotely during the pandemic: $7 billion 
  • Vaccine distribution, testing and contract tracing efforts and health care workers: $20 billion. 
  • Rail and Transit: $1 Billion in Relief Funds to Amtrak.
  • Airline Assistance: $15 Billion to cover airline salaries and benefits through March..  
  • US Post Office: $10 billion in assistance. 
  • A tax credit "to support employers offering paid sick leave. 

Covid19 Vaccine News
How the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work?
The Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines are a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.

The vaccine contains a small piece of the [Covid-19] virus's mRNA that instructs cells in the body to make the virus's distinctive 'spike' protein. 

When a person receives this vaccine, their body produces copies of the spike protein, which does not cause disease, but triggers the immune system to learn to react defensively, producing an immune response against [Covid-19]. 

The vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.
NC and the Covid19 Vaccine 
Vaccine Rollout Details can be found here at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines

Secretary Cohen has revealed that 53 North Carolina hospitals--decided based on number of beds, number of health care workers in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, and county population--will receive the first shipment of 89,800 vaccines. That includes 11 hospitals identified as having enough ultra cold storage to keep the Pfizer vaccine for a number of weeks, should the authorization process be delayed.

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.
NC Hospitals to Receive Covid19 Vaccine
NC Hospitals to receive Vaccine
  • Bladen Healthcare LLC (Bladen County Hospital)
  • Caldwell Memorial Hospital
  • CarolinaEast Medical Center
  • Catawba Valley Medical Center
  • Cumberland County Hospital System Inc (Cape Fear Valley Health System)
  • Duke University Health System
  • Henderson County Hospital Corporation (Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital)
  • Hoke Healthcare LLC (Hoke Hospital)
  • The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (CMC Enterprise)
  • University of North Carolina Shared Services Agreement
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jan 6 - 8am Cary Chamber Economic Forecast!
Jan 6th Cary Chamber Economic Forecast! 8 am.

Radio / TV
Radio Mirchi
Tune in today at at 5 pm with a "State of Wake County" Interview with Wake County Chair Matt Calabria on Radio Mirchi Raleigh Durham!

99.9 FMHD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!

IBM TV
Join me Monday at 10 am on International Broadcast Media TV for a global for World Edition, an update on global politics.

My Weekly Update:
NC Covid Dashboard:

Wake County Covid 19 Test Sites: https://covid19.wakegov.com/testing/
  • 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/.    
  • 1,390,660 NC citizens have applied for UI Benefits, 940, 019 have been paid benefits, and $9 billion of benefits have been issued.
  • Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/

North Carolina is reporting 9,356 more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 558,437.

North Carolina hospitalizations remain high but went down by 14, bringing the total to 3,479. That number is not the record but still remains among the highest hospitalization numbers the state has seen during the pandemic. NCDHHS said Saturday 783 people are in the ICU.

The state is reporting a percent positive test rate of 15.5%, up from Thursday's 13.3%. This is the highest rate since the start of the pandemic.

Throughout North Carolina, there have been 144 more deaths, bringing the total to 6,892.

Since Thursday, the state is reporting 132,953 completed COVID-19 tests. More than 7 million tests have been administered since the start of the pandemic.

The state did not report COVID-19 data on New Year's Day, meaning this is the first update since Dec. 31, 2020.

CASES:
9,365 New Cases (18,800 in first two days of January)
+ N.C. = 558,437 Cases (Deaths = 6,892)
+ 15.5 % Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 45,944 Cases (Deaths=348)
+ US = 20.5 million Cases/350K deaths
+ Worldwide 84.6 million/1.84 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 6,835,632
3,479 Hospitalized
Office Hours
Council Member Rao holds office hours on Friday from 12:00-1:00 PM by appointment only at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville. 

For more information or to schedule a time to speak with Council Member Rao, please email SRao@TownofMorrisville.org and copy Town Clerk Eric Smith, esmith@townofmorrisville.org, 463-6150.
Council Member Steve Rao
Town of Morrisville
Dedicated to transforming Morrisville into an ideal place to work and raise a family!
Learn more at: SteveRao.com