Coronavirus continues to spread across NC, amid calls for more restrictions
Coronavirus infections continue to spread in North Carolina, as health officials and the patrons and operators of businesses and institutions consider how willing and able they are to restrict activity to try to keep the illness in check.
The number of known COVID-19 cases in North Carolina was at 41 at 6 p.m. Monday, up from 19 on Friday night and after a weekend in which many activities were canceled under a governor’s order not to gather in groups of 100 or more. Patients have tested positive for the illness in at least 16 of the state’s 100 counties, with Sampson and Iredell counties added to the list Monday.
Officials at Campbell University in Harnett County said a student there has COVID-19, and Harnett public health officials announced a fourth case in the county on Monday evening. Three new cases were reported in Mecklenburg County, bringing its total to seven. Wake also added a new case.
Federal officials signaled the need for tighter restrictions Sunday night, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that, for the next eight weeks, gatherings of 50 people or more should be canceled or postponed. The CDC said the guidance doesn’t apply to “day-to-day operation of organizations such as schools, institutes of higher learning, or businesses.”
Health officials in North Carolina echoed the recommendation on Monday. While the state has tried to avoid worst-case projections, a UNC epidemiologist said Monday that North Carolina could see 110 people testing positive for coronavirus by the end of the week, with cases reaching 4,000 by April 2. Researchers have said that each person infected with the illness is likely to spread it to two or three more people.
The advisement came after Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday there are more than 2,900 cases nationally.
Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump went further, saying people should avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more, stop discretionary travel, and not go to restaurants and bars for at least the next 15 days.
“While they may experience mild symptoms, they can easily spread this virus,” Trump said during a news conference.
People are responding to health officials’ cautions to greater and lesser degrees, some choosing to stay in their homes entirely, some flouting the rules and some forced to go out because their jobs require it. Most seemed to be trying to figure out how to fit the threat of illness into what’s left of normal daily life.
“This is not fun for anyone,” said Lorna Ronald, who traveled from Canada on Friday to visit her 82-year-old mother who is recuperating at Westfield Rehabilitation and Health Center in Sanford rehab center after a fall that broke her hip and arm.
Ronald and her daughter, Jen Craven of Raleigh, stood outside the rehab center Sunday and talked with “Miss Annie” by phone while looking at her through the window of her room. Aides raised the window blinds and helped Miss Annie move nearer to the window where she could see the women through the glass.
The facility is closed to visitors except for end-of-life situations and cases where visitors are essential to the patient’s well-being, according to a sign on the door. The women’s car was the only one in the parking lot, though Craven said when she visited the facility last week before the restrictions were set, it appeared to be near capacity.
Ronald said it was frustrating not to be able to bring favorite cookies, magazines and other items to her mom, but she understood. She said she worries about her mother.
“It’s hard to be away from your home and your family,” she said.
As of Monday afternoon, Lee County, where the facility is located, had no cases of illness.
Most NC cases in Wake County
Fifteen of the North Carolina cases are in Wake County, with several connected to patients from the Raleigh biotech company Biogen who tested positive after attending a conference in Boston.
Additional information came out Sunday about some of the Wake County cases.
A Target spokeswoman confirmed that a Brier Creek Parkway employee in Raleigh tested positive for a case of the coronavirus. Target said they have since placed the employee, who is now quarantined, on paid leave. The retail company will now work to “deep clean and sanitize the store.”
On Sunday, Wake health officials said one of the new cases flew to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on March 8.
Wake officials say one of the other new cases attended the BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Convention at the Raleigh Convention Center from 2-4 p.m. on March 8. Anyone who was at the event during that time period is asked to call the county’s COVID-19 information line at 919-856-7044.
Others are in Forsyth, Durham, Chatham, Johnston, Cabarrus, Harnett, Onslow, Wayne, Brunswick, Craven, Wilson, Sampson and Watuaga counties.
After learning late Friday that an employee had come down with flu-like symptoms on Thursday, the State Treasurer’s Office began telling employees who worked in that area of the building at 3200 Atlantic Ave. on Sunday that they could work from home. On Monday, he extended it to all of the office’s employees who are able to telework, said Frank Lester, a spokesman for the treasurer.
“Subsequently, many across all divisions have chosen to go home,” Lester said.
He said the office has no knowledge of any employees testing positive for COVID-19. The employee with flu-like symptoms had not been tested, Lester said, but has a relative who was tested, with the results still unknown.
Last week, Lester said the state office stopped scheduling appointments with current or retired state employees to help limit the spread of the disease.
The weekend was quiet ,with many events being canceled as a result of Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order on Saturday banning large gatherings of 100 or more people. His order also closes the state’s K-12 public schools through March 27.
’Coronacations’ crowding Outer Banks
With students out of school and many parents told to stay out of their workplaces, North Carolina’s Outer Banks have seen an unusual uptick in visitors.
“People are coming down to stay for the week,” said Cyndi Sarfan, a nature photographer who lives in Kill Devil Hills. “We had a trickle of people last week for spring break, but now our numbers are skyrocketing. A few rental companies are actually advertising and suggesting that people have ‘coronacations’ down here.
“Which sounds like a great idea, and I can see how it would be appealing: Come down, rent a big house or a hotel room on the beach. The problem is, they’re not self-isolating,” Sarfan said in a phone interview with The News & Observer. “They’re coming down here on vacation while the rest of us are trying to self-isolate, and now we’re competing with this influx of people.”
Grocery stores have been stripped, Sarfan said. Restaurants are crowded in violation of social distancing recommendations. The local hospital is small and has no intensive care unit.
On Facebook, Sarfan and others have urged local governments or the state to enact the same rules used during hurricane evacuations.
“Limit the Outer Banks to only residents,” she said. “We don’t have the capacity to deal with a sudden boom in our population during this pandemic.”
Events canceled due to coronavirus
Cooper last week asked that organizers of large events — those likely to draw 100 or more people — cancel, postpone or modify their plans. He changed that to an order on Friday because, he said, people were ignoring the request.
“This is a risk we cannot tolerate,” Cooper said. “No concert is worth the spread of this pandemic.”
As of Monday afternoon, he had not ordered the crowd size to drop to 50, as suggested by the CDC.
Cooper requested a disaster declaration Monday from the U.S. Small Business Administration that would allow small businesses suffering economic losses from the pandemic to get low-interest loans. Some retail chains with stores in North Carolina announced they would be moving to online-only sales for a while. Others have abbreviated their hours to allow for extra cleaning. Some restaurants closed their dining rooms and went to drive-through or delivery service.
The governor’s crowd-limiting order had an impact Sunday at Catholic and Protestant churches. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh canceled all Masses and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte canceled Masses at larger churches. Leaders of the United Methodist and Episcopal denominations ordered their worship services and most other gatherings canceled.
Several large churches chose to stream their sermons online. Some smaller churches did too or kept the doors open while encouraging people who are sick or at risk to stay home.
At Haven Free Will Baptist Church there were no ushers or greeters, the offering plate wasn’t passed around and, hardest of all, there were no handshakes or hugs. Just 16 people sat in the wooden pews at the southwest Raleigh church Sunday morning.
Chad Austin, spokesman for the 4,300-church Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, said that while each church has the authority to decide its own policies, the convention encourages congregations to comply with government mandates and state and federal health guidelines.
The state museums of history, natural sciences and art and the North Carolina Zoo are all suspending operations Tuesday until further notice, the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced Monday. The list of public sites shutting down also includes state aquariums, the state library and archives, and other museums and historic sites, as well as campgrounds and visitors centers at parks. Park trails and restrooms remain open, as does the Museum Park at the NC Museum of Art.
On Sunday, Susan G. Komen suspended the 2020 Triangle Race for the Cure scheduled for May 2. The group said it’s exploring all possible options to reschedule or convert the race to a virtual experience. Thousands participate annually in the race, which is the group’s signature fundraising event.
Also on Sunday, multiple local government agencies announced closures.
Durham County announced that all libraries are closed until further notice. Wake County Public Libraries and facilities at county parks will be closed beginning Monday through March 27.
All Town of Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources facilities are closed and programming, including classes, events and camps, are canceled until further notice. Wake Forest closed its parks and community centers.
The City of Raleigh announced Sunday that the Five Point Active Adult Center, Anne Gordon Center for Active Adults and Walnut Terrace Center will be closed through April 15. The city also canceled its before- and after-school programs, city-wide active adult programs, and specialized recreation programs. Its youth and adult athletic leagues were postponed until April 13.
The City of Durham tweeted Sunday that it is canceling Monday’s City Council meeting and Thursday’s council work session to help prevent the spread of the disease.
Many events, locally and nationally have previously been canceled due to the disease.
The NHL and NBA have suspended their seasons, and the NCAA and ACC canceled their basketball tournaments. The Masters and other golf tournaments and the Boston Marathon were postponed, and NASCAR has put off upcoming races in Atlanta and Miami.
The Dreamville music festival in Raleigh was postponed from April to August. “Les Miserables” canceled at the Durham Performing Arts Center. And the City of Raleigh announced that all large events planned for its facilities would be canceled or postponed through April 15, effectively shuttering the Raleigh Convention Center and Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
The state’s first case on March 3 involved a Wake County man who tested positive. Officials say he was exposed at a long-term care facility in Kirkland, Washington, the site of an outbreak, and then returned to North Carolina.
Coronavirus is primarily a respiratory disease, with symptoms similar to seasonal flu. According to the CDC, symptoms of coronavirus include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic, opening the door for the federal government to offer some funding help for state and local governments working to stem the spread of illness. Cooper declared a state of emergency in North Carolina, making the state eligible for federal emergency funding.
People with questions or concerns about COVID-19 can call the state’s phone line at 866-462-3821.
McClatchy writer Charles Duncan and News & Observer staff writers Lynn Bonner, Dawn Vaughan, Dan Kane and Steve Wiseman contributed to this report.
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This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 1:07 PM.
