Following Durham, Wake County plans a ‘stay-at-home’ order to stop coronavirus spread
Wake County plans to issue a stay-at-home order following a similar announcement by Durham leaders.
The announcement was to be made Wednesday afternoon. A news conference has been announced for Thursday afternoon with county leaders and health officials about the COVID-19 response.
The decision comes as Durham leaders issued a stay-at-home order in an 11 a.m. news conference.
“For the past two days, Wake County Commissioners and staff from the county manager’s office have been in close contact with state and local public health officials, leaders from local hospitals, mayors and municipal managers from each of Wake County’s 15 towns and cities,” said Wake County Commissioner Greg Ford.
There are 12 Wake County cities and towns as well as three towns — Clayton, Angier and Durham — predominately located in other counties, but that have some jurisdiction in Wake County.
All 12 of Wake County’s municipalities had joined the county’s order declaring a state of emergency, but some towns or cities could choose not to join the county’s new order. That would mean the stay-at-home order would not apply in those towns.
In Mecklenburg County’s stay-at-home order, individual mayors signed on to the agreement.
Wake leaders were also having “crucial conversations” with the local business community, Ford said.
“County staff have been working quickly on a draft declaration based on that input,” Ford told The News & Observer.
There have been more than 70 confirmed cases of COVID-19 within Wake County, including the state’s first confirmed case more than three weeks ago. There have been about 500 cases confirmed throughout the state, though local and state officials have confirmed not all people with the disease have been or will be tested.
Wake County has announced a new strategy that encourages less testing of those with mild symptoms. Those people should isolate themselves in an effort to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with patients when the numbers increase, The News & Observer reported.
The county will reserve its tests for people 65 years old or older, people with underlying health conditions, first responders and health care workers.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 10:28 AM.
