Novant Health postpones Wilmington, Winston-Salem festivals as COVID-19 cases rise, vaccination rates remain stagnant

Published 2:57 pm Saturday, July 31, 2021

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WINSTON-SALEM — Novant Health has announced the remaining two Welcome Back Festival celebrations, originally scheduled for Aug. 7 in Wilmington and Aug. 21 in in Winston-Salem, will be postponed.
“The health, safety and well-being of our teams and community are always our first priority,” said Jesse Cureton, executive vice president and chief consumer officer for Novant Health. “We have decided to delay the scheduled events in Wilmington and Winston-Salem as a precaution due to rising COVID-19 cases in the community.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released additional data on COVID-19 and the highly transmissible Delta variant. The report analyzed cases associated with large public gatherings, and recommended event organizers should consider measures like limiting capacity or postponing events based on factors such as COVID-19 transmission and vaccination coverage.
Novant Health looks forward to rescheduling the events once the numbers show decreased community spread and will announce new dates when available.
The celebration is designed to mark the progress made in the fight against COVID-19 while supporting diverse local businesses, honoring healthcare heroes and encouraging vaccinations.
For more information, visit www.WelcomeBackFest2021.com