Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency in North Carolina on March 10 because of the new novel coronavirus, COVID-19. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic.
North Carolina has 15 cases, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services as of March 13. There are no confirmed cases in Orange County, but cases have been confirmed in nearby Wake, Chatham and Durham counties. Fourteen of these cases that tested positive still need to be sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control for confirmation.
The special coronavirus task force Cooper assembled last month has established the ability to test patients for the coronavirus in the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public health, which is housed under the NCDHHS.
Cooper explained in a statement on March 10 that he declared the state of emergency because it will help the government take necessary precautions and will allow for more supplies and funding to be provided to the state.
“It also increases the state public health department’s role in supporting local health departments, which have been tasked with monitoring quarantines, tracing exposure and administering testing,” the statement said.
On March 12, the NCDHHS released a press release outlining further mitigation measures for coronavirus. The press release said the measures are recommendations for the next 30 days:
- If a person suspects they have coronavirus, they should call their health care provider and tell them the symptoms they are experiencing and any travel they have taken recently.
- High-risk individuals should stay home. Persons at high risk include people over the age of 65, those who have weakened immune systems, or those with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes.
- When possible, workplaces should hold larger meetings virtually, and employers should arrange the workspace to optimize the distance between employees, ideally at least six feet apart.
- Mass gatherings of 100 or more people should be canceled.