DHHS updates services as COVID-19 becomes routine

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced a change to how it releases information on COVID-19.

The DHHS announced that COVID-19 as a public health emergency will end on May 11 as the virus will be a routine part of public health.

COVID-19 data collected through the dashboard will move to the North Carolina Respiratory Illness Summary Dashboard, and will include the following information:

COVID-like illness, influenza-like illness and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-like illness and other respiratory illness visits to emergency departments
New COVID-19 and influenza hospital admissions
Wastewater surveillance

Vaccination data will also slowly update until it ends on May 31, DHHS said. The CDC will then provide this information after May 31.

Community testing sites will also end on March 31 as home testing kits are widely available. State health officials recommend having a few testing kits at home just in case of an emergency.

“While we continue to see illness and deaths from COVID-19, it is no longer the threat it once was thanks to testing, vaccines and treatment,” said Susan Kansagra, M.D., Director, DHHS Division of Public Health. “As we evolve our response to the more routine nature of COVID-19 going forward, these indicators will help us monitor our health care capacity from respiratory illness including COVID-19 and adjust our response if needed.”