NEW DMV-ISSUED
GET-OUT-OF-PRISON CARD
FOR CERTAIN EX-INMATES
TO USE FOR VOTING
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Now, thanks to the NC Dept. of Adult Correction and the NC Dept. of Motor Vehicles, certain former prison inmates who are 17 years of age or older, have satisfactorily served their sentences and are getting out of prison, can obtain a new photo ID card that can be used for, among other things, voting.
The cards can be used starting with this fall’s local municipal elections. They are part of a new effort by the NC Dept. of Adult Corrections to help ex-inmates better transition back into society to a normal life. The cards can help them get employment, a place to live, and even social services benefits.
“As a correctional agency, we aspire to correct the behaviors and the mindset that brought someone to prison. We want to provide all the tools needed for offenders to be successful after release,” says George Pettigrew, DAC deputy secretary for rehabilitation and re-entry. “An official state ID will be a useful and valuable tool.”
And, as long as the former inmate is registered to vote in North Carolina, he or she can use the card as photo ID when voting.
Even though officially issued by the NC Dept. of Motor Vehicles, the new photo ID cards cannot be used for operating a vehicle. They also cannot be used for federal identification.
But the good news is as long as the former inmate has served less than eight years behind bars, the DMV can use a previous photograph of them on the new card, and have it ready for them as they’re about to walk out the prison gates.
They do not have to visit a local DMV office.
In order to qualify, the former inmates must have a NC driver license or other type of state-issued photo identification prior to entering prison. A driver’s license or state ID from another state will not qualify.
Approximately 20,000 inmates a year are formally released from NC prisons, and many of them serve sentences of less than eight years. So they should qualify for the new state-issued photo ID cards. If qualified, they must obtain the new state-issued ID cards within 120 days of their release, and have been a legal resident of North Carolina at least 12 months prior to their incarceration.
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[new information added]
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
AGAINST NEW COVID VARIANT
IN N.C.
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic is over, but the risk of catching many of the new COVID variants still ever-present in the state, and across the nation , is not.
Thanks to the proliferation of COVID vaccine shots and boosters, many of us have been able to go about our daily lives as before the pandemic that crippled the nation, and forced all of us to take stringent precautions against contracting the deadly virus we never believed would be necessary.
But there was one thing many researchers always warned us about, and that is while the original COVID-19 virus may fade away, there would always be a new COVID variant to take its place that we would all have to collectively guard against.
That new dominant COVID variant is now here - EG.5, or “Eris” as it is more commonly known.
First discovered in China last February, Eris finally crossed the ocean to America shores in April, published reports say, and has grown to account for over 21% of U.S. cases of COVID-19, the most of any variant.
Yes, Eris is here infecting people in North Carolina. Health researchers with the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) know this by the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits that have gone up noticably , as well as checking the wastewater for viral particles.
There are no reports of any deaths associated with Eris. In fact, NCDHHS no longer keeps track of deaths by COVID-19 since the pandemic ended months go.
But with summer virtually over, and the cooler months of fall and winter just around the corner, people should at least be made aware of the risks that Eris poses to their health, especially if they’re in their later years and suffering from diseases and afflictions that already compromise their immune systems.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AN ERIS/COVID-19 INFECTION?
Fortunately, NCDHHS researchers do not consider Eris to be more dangerous than the original COVID-19 virus. Thus, the symptoms are virtually the same in many cases - fever, persistent cough, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, a loss of taste or smell.
Of course, see your doctor if any of these become prevalent, particularly in combination.
HOW DO YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?
Fortunately, the pandemic taught us all lessons we can reapply to ensure our protection at Eris.
First, there are N95 masks, which are very effective in filtering out infectious air particles.
Then, making sure that you thoroughly wash your hands before touching your face. Also, liberally use hand sanitizers the are primarily alcohol-based. Also use hand sanitizer wipes.
If the last COVID-19 vaccine booster you received was before September of 2022, then you are due for another booster to help protect your body against the virus. Note that getting the vaccine does not mean you’ll never contract COVID, but that if you do, your body is better protected and better able to fight off infection.That also means you’re less likely to need hospitalization, or less likely to die.
Finally, most drug stores now carry COVID-19 home test kits that are able to determine whether you have the COVID virus within at least 15 minutes.
HOW DO YOU PROTECT OTHERS IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ERIS/COVID-19?
According to the NCDHHS, if you feel that you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or Eris, watch for symptoms, get a test five full days after exposure as soon a you feel sick (ncdhhs.gov/GetTested ) and
wear a mask around others until 10 full days since exposure have passed.
AND WHAT IF YOU HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR ERIS/COVID-19?
You need to isolate. Stay home and stay away from others at home and in the community for at least five full days from the day your symptoms started or from your test date if you do not have symptoms.
But if you do, remain in isolation for the five days and until you have been five-free for 24 hours (without medicine) and your symptoms are getting better. Wear a mask around others until 10 full days have passed since your symptoms began (or since your test date if you do not have symptoms).
Masks can be removed earlier than day 10, following two negative antigen tests conducted after the five day isolation period and 48 hours apart.
Like influenza, COVID has become the virus that all of us have to now live with in our daily lives. Thus, like the flu, we need to get seasonal shots to better protect ourselves.
But researchers caution us that Eris is just the latest dominant COVID-19 virus we must protect against. CBS News on Monday reported on two other new COVID-19 variants that researchers are tracking - FL.151, otherwise known as “Fornax,” accounting for 13.35 of U.S. infections; and BA.2.86, more commonly known as “Pirola,” which, for now, is too small in prevalence to show up in CDC estimates.
As COVID variants evolve, we may one day find ourselves again dealing with a deadly virus we have little protection against.
Questions about Eris/COVID-19 treatment? Call 1-800-232-0233 or visit covid19.ncdhhs.gov/treatment.
Need food support while in quarantine or isolation? Call or text 2-1-1 for food resources or visit ncdhhs.gov/SNAC for a list of resources.
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