Shortages of teachers, infrastructure and technology workers will hamper schools' ability to provide the best education, facilities and tools to children, Superintendent Robert Taylor said Thursday.

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Wake County Public School System Superintendent Robert Taylor speaks to the League fo Women Voters of Wake County, April 18, 2024

More than 21% of North Carolina's four-year-olds enrolled in the state's pre-kindergarten programs during the 2022-2023 school year, up from the prior year but still below the state's pre-pandemic highs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

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A staff member and someone who provided essential services at Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh have tested positive for the coronavirus.

RALEIGH, N.C. — A staff member and someone who provided essential services at Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Wake County officials notified the public of the outbreak on Thursday but declined to say how many cases were found and whether they involved residents, staff or both. Capital Nursing officials said they tested all residents and staff on April 25 and have received no other positive results, although eight tests are still pending.

Across North Carolina, there are now 50 nursing facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks.

“We know what has been happening nationwide and certainly North Carolina has not been different in that nursing’s homes are are extremely vulnerable we have so many people in high risk in close quarters,“ said Catherine Harvey Sevier, the North Carolina AARP president.

Catherine Harvey Sevier, North Carolina AARP president

Sevier said told WRAL what needs to be done to protect some of our most vulnerable residents.

"We have a responsibility to make sure that nursing homes have the resources they need and the protective equipment that they have the ability to test," Sevier said.

On Thursday, President Trump outlined new initiatives aimed at protecting elderly Americans who live in nursing homes.

More than 100,000 North Carolinians live in long-term care facilities that are now under an indefinite lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. Patient advocates say steps to protect vulnerable patients are needed, but could lead to less oversight of facilities.

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"We'll be finalizing a new rule requiring information about coronavirus cases in nursing homes to be reported directly to the CDC and testing data to be posted online so everyone gets to see it," Trump said. "This will also require nursing homes to report cases to residents and their family members."

Lastly, Sevier said what many may need behind the walls of those assisted living facilities is to know they are not alone.

Nursing homes are the sites of numerous coronavirus outbreaks in North Carolina, and the elderly are more likely to suffer from the virus, so state AARP President Dr. Catherine Sevier said families need to keep in touch with relatives in nursing homes virtually during the pandemic to monitor their health. The visits also help the residents feel more connected to others, she said.

THE TRENDS WITHIN CERTAIN AGE GROUPS. TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS TO GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA. THE STATE REPORTS THAT 24%, NEARLY ONE IN FOUR POSITIVE CASES IN OUR STATE ARE ADULTS OVER 65. AS OF THIS MORNING, THIS IS JUST UNDER 2300 PEOPLE. NOW, LET'S LOOK AT THE DEATH RATES. AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY, 87% OF THE DEATHS REPORTED IN NORTH CAROLINA ARE PEOPLE OVER 65. TAKEN THE FATALITY RATE FOR THOSE OVER 65 NORTH DYLAN I JUST UNDER 14%. >> WE KNOW THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BREAK DOWN. IF YOU TAKE ANYTHING ELSE AWAY FROM WHAT YOU JUST SAW, KNOW THAT IT IS MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65, SUCH AS MYSELF, TO FULLY RECOVER. CHANCES ARE, WE ALL HAVE LOVED ONES IN THIS AGE GROUP AS WELL AND JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, DR. CATHERINE SABIA, THE PRESIDENT  OF THE AARP OF DR. LINDA. THANKS FOR TALKING WITH US. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> WHAT DO YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THE PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS TODAY? >> A TAKE AWAY FROM THAT THAT WE ARE GOING TO ALL ENJOY CELEBRATING OLDER AMERICANS MONTH AND I ALSO TAKE AWAY THAT WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO. AND GOV. COOPER TODAY SAID STAY THE COURSE AND LET'S FIND OUR WAY FORWARD IF WE ARE FLATTENING THE CURVE, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ARE, THAT IS GREAT NEWS, BUT WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO. >> AGAIN I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NUMBER OF 65 AND OLDER. IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE LIVING LONGER, MANY OF US STAYING IN BETTER HEALTH LONGER THAN WE USED TO. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK MY BASELINE IS HIGHER THAN MANY PEOPLE AT AGE 65, BUT, THERE IS NO WAY TO REALLY KNOW THAT IF THIS WERE TO HIT US AND IMPACT OUR LUNGS. >> THAT IS TRUE. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WE ARE MORE AT RISK ONCE WE ARE OLDER AND MANY OF US HAVE CHRONIC DISEASES THAT PUT US AT HIGHER RISK, THINGS LIKE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES, IMMUNE SYSTEM PROBLEMS, WHERE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESISTANCE WE HAD WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, SO, THAT MAKES US MORE VULNERABLE. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT NURSING HOMES. THE CASES IN THE NUMBER OF OUTBREAKS IN THE STATE, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS CORRECTLY >> WELL, WE KNOW THAT WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING NATIONWIDE AND CERTAINLY NORTH CARINA HAS NOT BEEN DIFFERENT IN THAT IS THAT NORTH NURSING HOMES ARE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK IN CLOSE QUARTERS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NURSING HOMES HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, THE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TEST AND THEN WE ALSO CAN STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM, SO THAT IF WE HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER AND A NURSING HOME, WE REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THEM AND THAT THEY ARE STILL GETTING THE CARE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO US IN ANY WAYS THAT THEY CAN. GO AHEAD. >> NO, YOU GOT I'M SORRY TOOK >> IS GOING TO SAY ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE ADMINISTRATION. AND THE FAMILY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THEIR FAMILY MEMBER DOES NOT FEEL DESERTED AND DESERTION IS A REALLY REAL PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NURSING HOPING HOMES. >> MY GOSH, IF MY PARENTS WERE STILL ALIVE AND IN NURSING HOME NOW AND I COULDN'T GET TO THEM TO EVEN BE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THEM, SO, THERE ARE A LOT OF VIEWERS OUT THERE WHO ARE IN THAT SITUATION NOW HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE THEM CORRECTLY QUICKLY >> WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO EVEN IF THEY CAN'T PHYSICALLY BE WITH THEM BY IDENTIFYING A FAMILY MEMBER WHO REALLY IS THAT PERSON'S ADVOCATE IN MAKING CONTACT WITH THE NURSING HOME, SETTING UP REGULAR ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM, ASKING FOR VIRTUAL VISITATION. AND THEN DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN FROM THE OUTSIDE TO MONITOR WHAT IS GOING ON. AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE, YOU KNOW, TO BE THE BEST ADVOCATE THEY CAN BE FOR THEIR FAMILY MEMBER. >> LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE CARING ABOUT THEM. >> I CAN'T IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF TEARS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID ABOUT THAT. YOU ARE A SEASONED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. ONE ISSUE WE HEARD FROM HOSPITALS ACROSS THE STATE HERE IN THE TRIANGLE, CARDIOLOGISTS TODAY POINTED OUT TODAY THAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO IGNORE OTHER HEALTH ISSUES, NOT GOING TO THE HOSPITAL OUT OF FEAR THEY MAY BE EXPOSED. HOW DO YOU KNOCKDOWN THAT FEAR PROXY >> WELL, YOU KNOCKDOWN THAT FEAR BY CHECKING IN WITH YOUR REGULAR PRACTITIONER AND SAYING HOW CAN I GET THE CARE THAT THEY NOW. I'M AFRAID TO PUT IT OFF. ALSO USING YOUR OWN PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. MASKS, TO GO TO VISIT. BUT ASKING THEM, JUST SAYING I CAN'T WAIT BECAUSE I HAVE SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT I'M FEELING OR NEEDING ATTENTION TODAY. >> LET'S HOPE PEOPLE WILL TAKE THAT ADVICE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HOSPITALS PEOPLE AREN'T GOING, PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING CARE THAT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE NEED, SIMPLY OUT OF FEARING THE WORST. DOCKER -- DR. CATHERINE WITH AARP OF DILEMMA, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME  AND

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Virtual visits can help family monitor nursing home residents, help residents feel less isolated

State AARP President Dr. Catherine Sevier

“We believe that staying in touch is critical for that person that is isolated and that family member needs to know they don’t feel deserted," Sevier said.

Officials at Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center said they have been working with residents to set up Skype, calling, texting and FaceTime with their loved ones.

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Latest COVID-19 outbreak at Wake County senior home stresses need for more protections

Capital Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

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Latest COVID-19 outbreak at Wake County senior home stresses need for more protections

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