After more NC coronavirus cases, cancellations and a quiet weekend away from crowds
As the more coronavirus cases appeared in North Carolina — 20 as of Saturday morning — and events shut down one after another, residents are left with few choices but to hunker down at home with families, laptops and online movies.
Most events that would have tempted people to go out over the weekend and for the next couple of weeks had been canceled on the direction of the governor and state health officials, who urge people not to congregate in numbers of 100 or more.
But Eleanor Talley, public relations manager for Visit NC, which promotes travel and tourism in North Carolina, said that while it may be a quiet weekend, the restrictions on gathering shouldn’t sound like a prison door slamming shut.
“It’s disappointing,” she said, for all those who planned to be a part of a big event that was canceled. But except for some program cancellations and some non-coronavirus-related issues, the state’s parks and recreation areas and other outdoor spaces remained open as of Friday. Covering 225,000 acres, these public lands offer plenty of space to roam without violating the rule of not being within 6 feet of anybody for more than 10 minutes if there’s a chance they might be carrying the virus.
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The state Department of Health and Human Services now lists 15 cases on its website.
Other cases not listed yet by the state would bring the total to 20.
▪ Brunswick County reported its first case early Saturday morning. “The individual is in self-isolation and is doing well,” according to a news release from the county.
▪ A case has been reported on the Camp Lejeune Marine base in Onslow County.
▪ Wayne County issued a news release saying a resident there had tested positive for the virus.
▪ On Friday night, Wake County officials announced a new case in the county, related to a Boston conference that employees of Biogen in the Triangle attended. It is Wake’s ninth case.
▪ Friday night, a Harnett County resident tested presumptive positive, Cape Fear Valley Health reported on Twitter. The person is isolated at home. Confirmation from the health department is expected Monday.
Also, Duke University said Friday evening that three of its graduate students traveling overseas as part of a group have tested positive for the coronavirus. The university said they are in good condition and receiving treatment outside the U.S. where they’ll remain until they have recovered.
Other students who had been on the Duke University trip are back in Durham and will be in self-isolation off-campus for at least 14 days under medical supervision, the university said.
In a letter to the Duke community, Vice President for Administration and Emergency Coordinator Kyle Cavanaugh said this is a reminder to “observe the guidelines on travel, exposure to large crowds and other restrictions designed to stop the spread of coronavirus — not only for your own well-being, but for the health of the vulnerable populations in our community.”
States of emergency
President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency around 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. Trump said the declaration would free up as much as $50 billion, the Associated Press reported.
Wake, Orange and Durham counties also declared a state of emergency Friday.
“Although the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus remains low in Wake County, I signed a State of Emergency declaration today as a proactive move to ensure we have the flexibility we need to respond to this ever-changing situation in the days and weeks ahead,” said Wake County Commissioner Chairman Greg Ford. “This is largely an administrative action and should not heighten fears or fuel panic among our residents.”
The declarations give counties the ability to use liability coverage, quickly activate emergency plans and provide administrative support with municipal partners.
At a news briefing Friday afternoon, state health officials said that so far, the state has conducted about 100 tests, and the state lab could do about 600 more with the materials it has. Private labs are increasing their testing capacity, officials said. Positive results from private labs will be reported by the state.
State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Tilson emphasized during the briefing that none of the cases in North Carolina so far is the result of “community transmission,” in which someone becomes infected without traveling or coming into contact with someone known to have the virus. As of Friday, Tilson said, all cases in the state are travel-related or the result of known-contact exposure.
N.C. Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said the state could use the National Guard if the situation becomes more widespread and it needs additional resources.
“We anticipate using them in more of a planning function,” Sprayberry said.
Many stores and restaurants remained open, with some businesses, such as pharmacy chain Walgreens, offering free shipping and free delivery to allow people to remain safely ensconced at home. The Chapel Hill Library announced it would shut down after Friday, and while Wake County libraries stayed open, they closed conference rooms and suspended group programs. .
Many more cancellations and postponements
To try to keep the illness from spreading, one event organizer after another scrapped longstanding plans.
The Dreamville music festival in Raleigh was postponed from April to August. “Les Miserables” canceled at the Durham Performing Arts Center.
The City of Raleigh announced that all large events planned for its facilitates would be canceled or postponed through April 15, effectively shuttering the Raleigh Convention Center and Duke Performing Arts Center.
Scheduled court appearances in Wake County got pushed back, as most cases and hearings in district and superior court were continued for 30 days.
The Nazim Hikemt Poetry Festival and Asian American Pacific Islander Celebration planned for Cary in coming weeks got knocked off the calendar, along with NCAA and ACC sporting events.
High school students cramming and stressing about SATs scheduled for this weekend got a reprieve as schools canceled the exams. Many students — from elementary to community college or universities — already had been told their spring breaks will be extended. When many classes resume, it will be online.
Some event organizers were looking even farther out, canceling events planned for later in March. The N.C. Baptists on Mission, which trains and mobilizes volunteers to respond to natural disasters in North Carolina and around the world, thanked those Friday who had registered for the now-canceled 2020 Missions Conference planned for March 27-28 in Winston-Salem.
“With the current State of Emergency issued in North Carolina and the warnings that this COVID-19 virus is only going to get worse the next couple of weeks, we feel it is the responsible thing to do,” the group’s CEO wrote in an email to announce the decision.
Maintaining distance — and fun
Visit NC’s Talley emphasized that canceled events don’t necessarily mean you need to stay home. ”Just don’t hug your neighbor every time you see them,” Talley said in an interview with The News & Observer.
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Social distancing, then, doesn’t have to mean social isolation for people who have not been identified as possible disease vectors.
“There is still a lot to be done and lots of ways that people can still get out there,” Talley said. She plans to go bike riding with her children this weekend, she said, with rain the only real threat.
Talley hoped that others would do something similar, and maybe consider ordering a meal from a favorite restaurant to support a business likely to take an economic hit from coronavirus-induced seclusion.
“Maybe you’re usually at a concert or some other event on the weekend,” Talley said. “So maybe the backdrop changes. But that doesn’t limit your ability to still go, and take a picnic with you.”
Staff writer Drew Jackson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 3:31 PM.
