Governor Cooper Visits Rockingham County Business Hosting Vaccinations for Employees | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper and NC Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen visited Pine Hall Brick's vaccine clinic in Madison, where the business held an on-site vaccine clinic and is offering incentives to encourage employees to get vaccinated.

    "It's on all of us to step up and encourage our friends, family members and neighbors to get their shots," said Gov. Cooper. "Creative outreach efforts like these are helping us turn the corner on the pandemic."

    Pine Hall Brick is offering its own incentive program and held an on-site vaccine clinic for employees. Starting in June, fully vaccinated employees can enter a monthly raffle that will run through October. Prizes include checks up to $1,000 and a one-week vacation leave. The Rockingham County Health Department is working with the manufacturing company to distribute vaccines to employees.

    "There are a lot of reasons to get vaccinated like protecting yourself and your community, bringing summer back, and getting back to the people and places you love. Outreach efforts like these make it even easier to get your free vaccine," said Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D.

    On Monday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced it will offer $25 Summer Cash Cards at select vaccine sites in Mecklenburg, Guilford, Rowan and Rockingham counties for people getting their first dose of the vaccine and the people driving them. The pilot program is designed to reduce financial barriers to getting the vaccine such as transportation costs and will run next week through June 8.

    The Summer Cash Card program is part of NCDHHS' Bring Summer Back campaign to encourage people to get their shot and talk with their loved ones about the importance of getting theirs. More than 260 organizations have joined the campaign which has reached an estimated 1.4 million North Carolinians.

    "We believe the vaccine is both safe and effective and getting vaccinated is paramount to providing a safe and healthy environment for our employees and helping minimize COVID-19 in our communities," said Walt Steele, Pine Hall Brick President and CEO. "We felt it was important as a company to encourage our employees to get vaccinated, so we partnered with the Rockingham Health Department to provide the vaccines on-site, which eliminates ease of access issues and created a unique monthly incentive program where all fully vaccinated employees are eligible to win monthly cash prizes culminating in a party and drawing for a grand prize of a week of additional paid vacation in October."

    "COVID-19 has shed light on the importance of public health in our community. We are in the business of helping people, but also helping one another," said Rockingham County Health Director Trey Wright. "Our commitment to serving local agencies and industries is exemplified here today by providing vaccine to workers so they can protect themselves while on the job and at home."

    To date, more than 8.2 million doses have been administered in North Carolina, with 53 percent of adults at least partially vaccinated and 48.5 percent of adults fully vaccinated. Nearly 80 percent of the state's 65 and older population have been at least partially vaccinated.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov