Wake leader says no changes planned after NC asks counties to consider COVID-19 fines
No new restrictions are planned for Raleigh or Wake County after the state asked 36 counties, including Wake, to get tougher on COVID-19 safety, local leaders said Thursday.
“We are continuing to monitor the data and work with Wake County,” Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. “But at this time, we are not having discussions about increasing restrictions.”
The letter from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services went to the state’s three largest counties — Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford — and those where the coronavirus is spreading fastest.
One of the critieria for getting the DHHS notice was a spike of more than 300 cases in the last 14 days. As of Thursday, Wake had 20,165 reported cases, according to DHHS, an increase of 1,363 since Oct. 8.
“We ask for your continued help in the fight against COVID-19,” DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and Erik Hooks, secretary of NC Department of Public Safety, wrote in the letter. “We are seeing concerning trends in case counts and hospitalizations in our state and nationally, and we need your help to reduce the transmission of this virus.”
So state officials asked counties to consider stricter measures, including local ordinances that could bring fines if violated and “imminent hazard abatement orders,” which could temporarily shut down businesses or other establishments that present safety threats.
Cohen and Hooks thanked county leaders for their efforts and encouraged them to continue pushing for masks, social distancing and limited crowd size.
Greg Ford, the chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, said based on the data, county staff members are not currently recommending additional restrictions or enforcement measures.
“Should conditions and staff’s recommendations change, Wake County is prepared to quickly pivot in our response,” Ford said. “Wake County has aggressively led on preparedness and response to COVID-19 since the first confirmed positive case occurred here in early March, and we will continue to do so.”
The positive test rate in Wake County is currently 4%, which is below the target set by DHHS and the current statewide level, Ford said.
“As long as Wake County residents continue to do a great job in practicing the 3 W’s (Wear a mask, Watch your distance and Wash your hands) to keep our positive test rate at this level or less, we’ll be able to maintain the status quo,” he said. “If our data spikes in the wrong direction, Wake County will consider mitigation options at that time.”
If Gov. Roy Cooper wants to use his authority to issue county-specific orders that include Wake, the county would implement them immediately, Ford said.
The News & Observer asked the Raleigh Police Department and Wake County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday about enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office has issued no citations for violations related to coronavirus orders, spokesperson Eric Curry said. The Police Department had not responded as of 4:30 p.m.
New COVID-19 cases surge in North Carolina
DHHS reported 2,400 new, confirmed cases of COVID-19 across North Carolina on Thursday, bringing the total to 252,992 statewide.
The updated total comes as the state has seen a new surge in cases, regularly topping 2,000 a day like during peak periods of infection over the summer.
On Wednesday, Cooper extended Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan until Nov. 13.
The extension continues to limit gatherings to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors and to require face coverings in public places where physical distancing is not possible.
It lets bars operate outdoors at 30% capacity, or 100 people, whichever is fewer, and movie theaters and other entertainment and conference venues to operate at 30% capacity. It extends an 11 p.m. ban on alcohol sales in bars, restaurants and breweries.
Neither Durham nor Orange County received DHHS letters, but Johnston and Alamance counties did. Wake has the state’s largest population so its numbers rank among the highest statewide, but another threshold for the DHHS notice is having 50 cases per 10,000 residents.
DHHS reported some more positive news Thursday in its daily cornoavirus report.
The rate of positive COVID-19 test results fell to 5.9%, down from 7.4% Wednesday. State health officials have long considered 5% their target.
Also, hospital cases fell slightly after a steady rise in recent weeks. With 97% of hospitals reporting statewide, hospitalizations stood at 1,205 statewide, down 14 from Wednesday.
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 1:30 PM.