When President Biden took office, he promised the American people that help was on the way.  Now, Democrats have delivered on that promise by delivering real, tangible results, and this week, we’re highlighting five ways the American Rescue Plan helps North Carolina. Today, we are highlighting the plan’s robust funding for vaccine distribution, coronavirus testing, and contact tracing.

Since the pandemic began, more than 891,000 people have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 11,739 people have died in North Carolina. The American Rescue Plan will allocate $20 billion for vaccine distribution, including $1 billion for the CDC to launch a vaccine awareness and engagement campaign and $7.5 billion to set up vaccination sites across the country. These life-saving vaccines will get us closer to the other side of this pandemic.

“President Biden, Governor Cooper, and all of our Democratic leaders know that the path to recovery means getting more shots in more arms,” said NCDP Chair Bobbie Richardson. “The American Rescue Plan will provide resources to Governor Cooper and the state to further his goal of fast and fair vaccine distribution, and help more North Carolinians get their shot each day.”

Governor Cooper has prioritized equity and speed from the start, and thanks to his strong leadership, our state is making progress. Bloomberg reported that North Carolina is among the best in the nation when it comes to distributing vaccines evenly among Black and White residents. North Carolina has already vaccinated over 1.2 million people in the state and is set to open eligibility for North Carolinians with high-risk medical conditions and those living in close group settings on Wednesday. 

###