NC hitting benchmarks in slowing coronavirus spread as Cooper mulls move to Phase Two
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday the state’s approach to slowing the coronavirus spread continues to work as he decides whether to relax more social restrictions next week.
Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, updated the situation during a news conference on Thursday, with both saying trends continue to move in a positive direction overall.
The state is currently in Phase One, which began on May 8, and goes through at least May 22. It allows many businesses that were previously closed to be open but at 50% capacity. Cooper said he and state officials will use the data gathered during Phase One before deciding to move into Phase Two, the second of three phases.
“Our COVID-19 decisions are guided by the data and science,” Cooper said. “We’ll use the time in this phase to keep a careful eye on the indicators before we are ready to announce the start of Phase Two.”
Cohen said the state remains in good shape in nearly all benchmarks, including the percentage of tests for COVID-19 coming up positive, number of patients hospitalized by COVID-19 and the number of cases determined by lab tests and surveillance methods.
The only one of those four benchmarks the state is not meeting is the number of lab-confirmed cases, which continues to rise. The state recorded 691 new cases on Thursday, a single-day high.
However, Cohen said the seven-day rolling average of cases continues to show leveling. With the increased number of tests being completed, she said, the number of cases are expected to rise.
With the state meeting the other three benchmarks, plus increasing testing and tracing while also seeing more personal protective equipment available, Cohen and Cooper are comfortable with where the state is currently as it responds to the pandemic.
North Carolina has more than 16,500 cases of COVID-19 in 99 of its 100 counties and more than 600 people have died, the NC DHHS reported Thursday morning.
Legislature and COVID-19
The General Assembly will return on Monday after a two-week break following passage of a $1.57 billion coronavirus relief package. The bill, signed by Cooper, distributes federal COVID-19 relief funds for education, small business loans, education, healthcare and government operations. There is still $2 billion more coming to the state from the federal government, which could be the subject of new legislation in the coming weeks.
During the week-long session in late April, lawmakers were encouraged to wear masks and the building was closed to the public except for legislators, staff and credentialed press. Starting Monday, the Legislative Building will be open to the public at 50% capacity. Everyone who enters the building will have their temperatures taken, according to a joint news release by House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger on Thursday.
Legislative committees, which had been meeting online only, will meet in the largest rooms available, and people in the building are expected to maintain social distancing. The release did not mention wearing masks.
Earlier this week, Berger and Sen. Bill Rabon urged Cooper to reopen personal care businesses like barbershops and hair salons, with some restrictions. On Thursday, Berger also urged the governor to allow counties the flexibility to reopen restaurants at reduced capacity, especially for outdoor seating areas.
“It’s time to follow the lead of the majority of states in our region by reopening restaurants. Counties should also consider opening some streets to pedestrian-only traffic to allow for expanded outdoor dining options,” Sen. Rick Gunn said in the same release.
South Carolina has already reopened dine-in service at restaurants, and Virginia is planning to reopen restaurant service outside at the end of May. Cooper, a Democrat, has been criticized by Republican lawmakers for being slower to reopen than other states.
Cooper said he’s working with restaurant owners and other businesses “to make sure we have the right kinds of restrictions in place,” to reopen, but said again the decision on Phase Two starting May 22 hasn’t been made yet.
Cooper, who previously said restrictions could potentially lift regionally, with Phase Two being statewide, “we won’t need to worry as much about regional decisions being made.”
The governor said “the virus does not respect county lines” and that many people live in one county but work and shop in another.
However, he also said that his administration will still keep the idea on the table.
Phase Two: Pools, playgrounds could reopen
Cooper’s Phase Two would lift the stay-at-home order while still urging vulnerable people to stay home. It would also allow limited opening of restaurants, bars, gyms and personal care businesses like barbershops and hair salons, with restrictions.
The second phase would also reopen public playgrounds and increase the size of gatherings. Neighborhood swimming pools might also be able to reopen.
Cohen told reporters on Thursday that the state is contemplating allowing pools to reopen and what the guidance will be on how to do it safely. She said guidance will include reducing the number of people in close contact and wiping down surfaces.
Cohen also reiterated that even in Phase Two, people should still remember the three Ws: wear masks, wash hands often and stay 6 feet apart from each other.
The current executive order goes through May 22, which is the start of Memorial Day weekend. Cooper and Cohen said they are still looking at data before announcing a decision about the start of Phase Two that day.
PPE for nursing, adult care facilities
One million packages of personal protective equipment will be shipped to 3,000 congregate care facilities throughout the state starting Thursday or Friday, Cohen told members of the state House on Thursday morning.
The packages for adult care homes, skilled nursing facilities, and group homes will have 10-14 day supplies of masks, face shields, gloves, and shoe coverings, Cohen said. Like other states, North Carolina has had significant outbreaks of coronavirus infections in adult care homes, even though they don’t let in visitors.
Long-term care facilities are a “really big focus” Cohen said, because the virus spreads so easily in those settings. According to the most recent state information, the state had ongoing outbreaks at 69 nursing homes and 24 residential care facilities as of Tuesday. The difficulty in controlling the spread is that people can be infected and not know, but still shed the virus and infect others, Cohen said.
“A hard thing about this virus is the asymptomatic spread,” she said. “This virus spreads so much when you don’t really know you have it, and for so long.”
The practice now is to test anyone living in a long-term care facility who shows symptoms, and to test everyone, including residents and staff if there is one case, she said.
DHHS is creating guidelines for periodic testing of all residents and staff, Cohen said.
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 3:35 PM.
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