A Message from the Mayor of Chapel Hill

GUEST COLUMN

By Pam Hemminger

Chapel Hill Community,

As 2020 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to wish everyone Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!

During this difficult year, the compassion and care that our community has shown to one another has given me great hope.

I am proud of our community for how we care for one another and want to begin by thanking you all for your hard work, kindness, and determination.  By wearing masks, practicing social distancing, checking on neighbors, and supporting community organizations, we have saved lives and protected our health care system.

This week, there is a new reason for hope, the roll-out of two coronavirus vaccines.  Chapel Hill and other Triangle-region neighbors are fortunate to be in one of the earliest areas to receive the vaccine, which will allow us to get back to the people, places, and activities we love in the foreseeable future.

But even as we mark this exciting step forward, rising COVID-19 numbers across our state are adding stress to our hospital systems and affecting health care workers. Additionally, many in our community continue to be impacted and need help.

So, until a vast majority of the public have reached immunity following two doses of the vaccine, we all need to remain vigilant.

To help prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, I ask your continued help in spreading kindness not illness in our community.  You can do this by celebrating differently, avoiding gatherings, and continuing to practice the 3Ws – waiting 6 feet (or more) apart, wearing a mask over your mouth and nose, and washing your hands frequently.

Finally, if you are able, please continue to take care of one another.  With your continued help we will come through this together and, hopefully, be able to celebrate with family and friends in 2021.

Links to COVID-19, health, and community resources are included at the bottom of this letter.

Again, thank you for all your hard work. And, please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Mayor Pam Hemminger

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For up-to-date guidance on Holiday Celebrations, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) webpage.

For those wishing to give or receive help during this holiday season, the Town has provided a comprehensive list of Community Resources on our COVID-19 webpage.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 cases and testing sites in Orange County, please visit the Orange County Health Department’s COVID-19 information page.

To learn more about the vaccine rollout plan for North Carolina, please visit the NC Department of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information page.