COVID exposure closes senior center in Wake County; Meals on Wheels delivers grab & go

Meals on Wheels of Wake County is continuing to check in on Wake Forest seniors after a COVID-19 exposure shut down the Northern Wake Senior Center on East Holding Avenue on Monday.

"Just because of COVID doesn't mean people aren't in need of food, and that's our job," Dennis McQueeney said.

The center will be closed for at least three days, or possibly longer, out of an abundance of caution, according to Bill Crabtree, the Town of Wake Forest spokesperson.

"If they don't feel that they have enough volunteers and staff to open at that time, the senior center will remain closed throughout this week," Crabtree said.

The closure comes Covid surges across the U.S ., according to wastewater data that shows North Carolina is one of 21 states reporting "very high" levels of COVID-19.

"This pattern is not unusual," infection prevention specialist Jessica Dixon said.

"The timing of it is a little earlier than we have seen it in some of the previous years, but we do see a pattern with COVID where we see a big spike in the winter, but then we see another spike in the summer."

Although WakeMed, UNC Health and Duke Health have seen a recent uptick in patients testing positive for COVID-19, it has not impacted their operations so far, according to officials.

"We're not reassuringly seeing the same level of severity that we had done in the past," Duke Health's Dr. Cameron Wolfe said.

With a new booster shot coming out this Fall, officials recommend staying up-to-date on vaccines to protect yourself and others.

"This is still around," Wolfe said. "If you're someone who's at risk or live and work with people who are at risk, here's a good chance to keep yourself updated."

For more information about the closure or updates, community members are asked to call the NWSC at (919) 554-4111 after 2 p.m. on July 24.

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