County of Northampton

COVID-19 Vaccination in Virginia 

Northampton County is in PHASE 1B.  

1/15/21 Editor's Note: The age for people seeking a vaccine in Phase 1b has just been lowered to age 65 and older.

Find out which phase of the vaccination campaign you fall in.

Virginians can use vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA to pre-register for the vaccine and get clear, updated information.

Please visit the Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination Response Portal for more information. 

NEWS

January 13, 2021:  Eastern Shore Health District Will Expand COVID-19 Vaccination to “Phase 1b” Recipients

January 6, 2021: Governor Northam Announces New Steps to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

December 4, 2020: Virginia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Priorities Announced
Health Care Personnel and Long-Term Care Facilities Will Receive Initial Vaccine Doses

December 2, 2020: Virginia's Three Phased Vaccine Distribution Plan

October 2020: Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination Plan

Avoid COVID-19 Vaccine Scams 


Click the image to enlarge and for a PDF version. 

See more information at Federal Agencies Warn of Emerging Fraud Schemes Related to COVID-19 Vaccines

Northampton County, VA Government Response to COVID-19

Updates about business operations and important notices.
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PUBLIC NOTICE

Effective Tuesday, May 19, 2020, the Northampton County Administration Building is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

State and Federal recommendations for social distancing and use of face coverings will be followed while conducting business in the building. Citizens are encouraged to continue to conduct their business by phone, email or other on-line options whenever possible.

Virginia is in a State of Emergency

On March 12, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19. The measures being taken to ensure the health and safety of all Virginians can be found at https://www.virginia.gov/coronavirus-updates/.  

The Northampton County Board of Supervisors urges our citizens to follow Governor Northam's Statewide Closure of Certain Non-Essential Businesses as issued on March 23, 2020 and Executive Order #55, Temporary Stay at Home Order Due to Novel Coronavirus COVID-19, issued on March 30, 2020.  Executive Order Fifty-Five states all residents shall stay at home until June 10, 2020.  Limited exceptions are traveling to and from work, seeking medical attention, obtaining goods and services such as groceries and prescriptions, care for family or household members, and engaging in outdoor activity. In all cases, individuals should distance themselves from others by at least 6 feet, and limit public gatherings to less than 10 people. 

In addition, Northampton County encourages all visitors to reschedule visits to the Eastern Shore. Everyone must do their part to flatten the curve. Please be considerate of small towns and counties on Virginia's Eastern Shore that do not have the medical staff or capacity for visitors during this pandemic. Stay home. If your primary residence is not on the Eastern Shore, we urge you not to visit at this time. 

See PLEASE STAY HOME for the entire statement from Northampton County Board of Supervisors. 

COVID TESTING AVAILABLE to the Community 

Eastern Shore Rural Health System Inc. is now offering community wide COVID-19 testing at its Atlantic, Eastville, and Onley centers.
Testing is offered at no charge, the fee will be billed to test participants’ health insurance with no copay. For those without insurance, there is no charge. Results are typically available in a few days – Eastern Shore Rural Health will contact those tested with the results.

Since many people infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms, participants do not have to be experiencing symptoms to be tested. Those being tested do not have to be an ESRH patient to be tested.

Those interested in receiving a test can call to schedule an appointment. For the Atlantic Community Health Center, call 757-824-5676; for the Eastville center, call 757-331-1086; and for the Onley center, call 757-787-7374. ESRH patients also can request an appointmentvia the Patient Portal.

This testing has been made possible through a partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and the Virginia Community Healthcare Association.

Walmart Testing

 
Walmart is playing a vital role by offering COVID-19 testing at the Onley Walmart located at 26036 Lankford Highway. The drive-thru site is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,
from 7 AM to 9 AM, weather permitting.
Those getting tested are required to stay in their cars at all times, and there is no out-of-pocket cost to the individual. The site will use a self-administered nasal swab observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly.
Sign up to get tested at www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com
Since the public-private partnership was announced on March 13, 2020, Walmart have been working closely with lab partners, HHS, and state and local officials to select testing sites in areas of need.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people have been tested at Walmart supported sites?
As of June 29, nearly 123,000 people have been tested at Walmart supported sites.

Who can be tested?
The drive-thru testing sites are available to those who meet CDC and state and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers, and others with symptoms of COVID-19 and those in high-risk groups without symptoms.
An appointment is required.

How do people sign up for an appointment?
Go to www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com 

What type of test is it?
All sites use a self-administered nasal swab test that allows those being tested to swab their own nose onsite while in their vehicles, observed by a trained Walmart pharmacist to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.

How long does it take to get results?
Quest delivers results within an average of two days.

Are Walmart associates at the test sites?
Walmart pharmacists are observing the swabbing. Other Walmart associates are helping with onsite support tasks such as directing traffic and ID checks at the testing sites.

Is there a cost for the test?
There is no out-of-pocket cost to the individual.

Is Walmart being paid for these sites?
No. Walmart is donating parking lot space, site supplies and materials, and associates’ time. 

For more information, go to https://corporate.walmart.com/covid19testing

COVIDWISE. Help protect our community and stop the spread of COVID-19. Click on the image to learn more.  

CovidWise - Use your Phone to Fight COVID-19 (PDF)

A Message from Riverside Hospital: Please Stay at Home
Dr. Rebekah Sensenig D.O. Riverside Infectious Disease Specialist Update on COVID-19

Food Assistance 

Assistance Programs: List of Resources in Northampton County for Food Pantries, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Department of Social Services SNAP

NCPS  Community Eligibility Provision (Meals for All)

Great news for you and your students! All enrolled students at Northampton County Public Schools are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household each day of the 2020-2021 school year. No further action is required of you.
Your child(ren) will be able to participate in these meal programs without having to pay a fee or submit a meal application.
Your child(ren) will eat a hot breakfast and lunch in their classrooms this school year. At the end of the day when your child(ren) go home they will be coming home with breakfast and lunch for the days they will be home.
Please refrigerate the items that need to be kept cold.

NCPS Virtual Food Service

The food service department would like to inform you that we are planning to feed the students who will be learning virtually this school year. Below is the procedure for the students who are on a 5-day virtual plan. Meals will consist of 5 days’ worth of breakfast and lunch. This will start SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2020.

NCPS ALL VIRTUAL FOOD SERVICE PROCEDURE

*CURBSIDE PICKUP WILL BE IN THE BUS LOOP AT EACH SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAYS FROM 10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M

*ENROLLMENT VERIFICATION IS REQUIRED

*MEALS ARE FREE TO ALL ENROLLED NCPS STUDENTS

*IF YOU WOULD LIKE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR YOUR VIRTUAL CHILD/CHILDREN PLEASE EMAIL OR CALL THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA MANAGER FROM THE SCHOOL YOU PLAN TO PICK IT UP FROM. BY AUGUST 31

OCCOHANOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL lsheppard@ncpsk12.com or 757-678-5151x8107
KIPTOPEKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL tbender@ncpsk12.com or 757-675-5151x6107
NORTHAMPTON MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL dcollins@ncpsk12.com or 757-678-5151x4062

This is only for the FULL TIME virtual students.


No Kid Hungry Virginia is making sure children are not left hungry during the coronavirus outbreak. Text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to find free food distribution sites organized by school districts and other community organizations. 

Foodbank Eastern Shore Branch 
The new Food Bank drop off is at the Cape Charles Fire House. Drop off times Mondays and Thursdays 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Please adhere to those times to minimize traffic through fire house and to allow items to sit a necessary amount of time before pick up by Food Bank Staff.  





Shore Delivery Corps

The Eastern Shore’s battle against COVID-19 has a new battalion of warriors --the Shore Delivery Corps. Starting Monday, April 6, healthy volunteers will pick up food and medications and deliver them safely to people who are most in danger of becoming seriously ill from the virus.
The Shore Delivery Corps’ mission is to keep vulnerable people home, and out of public places. If a person is over 65, or has existing health problems such as diabetes, asthma, COPD, heart or lung diseases, they may suffer more if exposed to the virus. The Shore Delivery Corps wants to prevent that, if possible.

To get help or to volunteer, call 801-9950, or email shoredeliverycorps@gmail.com. Volunteers will go to the store after you order and pay for the products as you usually do. If you need help ordering what you need, the volunteers will assist you. Then they will bring the bags to your doorstep, clean and virus free.

Shore Delivery Corps serves under the umbrella of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation and the United Way of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation gave the Corps $25,000, and the United Way donated $2,000 toward the mission.

“Working together, we can all make a difference in preserving the lives and good health of our fellow citizens who are at the greatest risk of serious complications from COVID-19,” said Corps leader Jeff Holland. “Help us by volunteering to make deliveries, to answer calls, or to educate our fellow citizens who are at risk the importance of staying home.”


Community Food Task Force 

The Community Food Task Force is working with the Northampton County Public Schools to distribute food to children until the school food program is up and running again. The Task Force will also continue to meet to create strategies to address any possible future interruptions to the school food program. The Northampton County Education Foundation (NCEF) is spearheading this effort, in partnership with The Food Bank of the Eastern Shore, Shore Delivery Corps, The Shanty Restaurant in Cape Charles and the Oyster Farm. The initiative is being directly coordinated with the Northampton County Public Schools.

Coronavirus COVID-19 

For the latest news on the Coronavirus (COVID-19), visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

Coronavirus Updates from the Virginia Department of Health 

Virginia residents can also call the Virginia Department of Health public information line at 877-ASK-VDH3.

For Information about Coronavirus Testing, please see this FAQ page from Virginia Department of Health: Testing for COVID-19 

Important links: 

• Assistance Programs
• Eastern Shore Rural Health
• Flu Season
• Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
• Virginia Department of Health 

Coronavirus (COVID-19)Update and Thorough Guidance Compiled by Julie McMurry, MPH at Flatten The Curve  

John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

Johns Hopkins experts in global public health, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness have been at the forefront of the international response to COVID-19.

This website is a resource to help advance the understanding of the virus, inform the public, and brief policymakers in order to guide a response, improve care, and save lives.

ArcGIS  Interactive Map
Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University  

In an effort to support the planning and response efforts for the recent Coronavirus outbreak, the Network Systems Science and Advanced Computing (NSSAC) division of the Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative at the University of Virginia has prepared a visualization tool that provides an alternate way of examining data curated by JHU and NSSAC. 

Please click on the infographic to enlarge and for an accessible PDF version. 

FAQ about Coronavirus from Virginia Department of Health

Please click on the infographic to enlarge and for an accessible PDF version.

Telehealth

Telehealth involves the use of telecommunications and virtual technology to deliver health care outside of traditional health-care facilities. Telehealth, which requires access only to telecommunications, is the most basic element of “eHealth,” which uses a wider range of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

Telehealth examples include virtual home health care, where patients such as the chronically ill or the elderly may receive guidance in certain procedures while remaining at home. Telehealth has also made it easier for health care workers in remote field settings to obtain guidance from professionals elsewhere in diagnosis, care and referral of patients. Training can sometimes also be delivered via telehealth schemes or with related technologies such as eHealth, which make use of small computers and internet.

Well-designed telehealth schemes can improve health care access and outcomes, particularly for chronic disease treatment and for vulnerable groups. Not only do they reduce demands on crowded facilities, but they also create cost savings and make the health sector more resilient.

Since remote communication and treatment of patients reduces the number of visits for health services, both transport-related emissions and emissions related to operational requirements are reduced. In addition, fewer space demands can potentially result in smaller health facilities, with concurrent reductions in construction materials, energy and water consumption, waste, and overall environmental impact.
Source: WHO.org

Eastern Shore Rural Health Patient Portal
Riverside Shore Memorial Patient Portal 

Practical Tips for Staying Healthy

• Wash your hands. A lot. Soap between your fingers, don't forget your thumbs and finger tips. Sing the Alphabet Song while applying soap, then rinse.

• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Monitor your temperature. If it spikes, stay home from work out of consideration for other commuters and your coworkers.

• Wear leather gloves at the gas pump.

• Stay hydrated.

• Shower and shampoo as soon as you get home, and put the clothes you were wearing straight into the hamper. Set yourself and your family up to make this easy. Put a hamper by the door, and hang clean robes for each family member to use from the door to the shower.

• Leave your shoes at the door. (Have a set of indoor slippers at the ready if your floor's cold.

• Carry your own pen for signing receipts when you're shopping.

• Learn to use smart phone pay systems, and get them set up now so you can avoid having to touch the credit card swiper or sign anything at checkout counters or gas stations.

• Use disinfectant wipes to clean surfaces two to five times a day, depending on the number of people using them. Surfaces would include doorknobs, countertops (don't forget the edges), light switches, shared keyboards and mouses, printer keypads, shared phones, water cooler buttons, fridge handles, sink handles, toilet handles, remote controls and all on/off switches.

• Wipe down tablets or smart phones frequently through the day, especially if you share them with others.

• If someone in your house isn't well, separate their toothbrush, give them separate hand towels, launder bedding frequently (wear a face mask while in their room, handling the bedding and laundry), consider using disposable/compostable dishes, utensils and papertowels.

• Air out the building (or the office, floor, classroom) once a day for about 15-20 minutes. It's a short time of being chilly, but it pays off with not breathing in stuffy air full of everything your coworkers or family have been exhaling!

• Sneeze or cough into your elbow. Teach your kids to to this. Remind friends and coworkers to do this, too.

• Maintain good toothbrush hygiene! Replace your toothbrush regularly — especially after an illness, and keep your toothbrush covered when not in use.

• Get a good night's sleep. Lack of sleep may profoundly impact your body's immune function.