Mecklenburg could soon be under ‘shelter-in-place’ order, county health director says
Mecklenburg could soon be under a shelter-in-place order much like San Francisco and New York as the coronavirus outbreak escalates, Public Health Director Gibbie Harris told county commissioners Tuesday evening.
More than 100 people have been tested in Mecklenburg in the past 24 hours, Harris said, though there are still only 11 confirmed cases in the county despite “community spread” of the coronavirus. None of the patients so far have been “seriously ill,” she said.
“We may be moving in that direction more quickly than we like,” Harris said, referring to the possibility of implementing shelter-in-place restrictions after Commissioner Mark Jerrell probed about the urgency of the pandemic in Mecklenburg.
Commissioner Susan Harden questioned what Mecklenburg must do to become “the highest-tested county” in North Carolina, with other commissioners similarly pressing Harris on what gaps may exist for treating COVID-19, which causes the coronavirus.
Additional nurses have been hired in Mecklenburg, where between 250 and 300 public health employees are currently responsible for tackling the novel coronavirus, according to Harris.
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“We are pounding the pavements, looking for every resource we can to help in this effort,” County Manager Dena Diorio said.
Testing for coronavirus has “increased significantly” in Mecklenburg since last Friday, when Harris had disclosed the county was receiving just three test kits at a time from the state.
By next week, Harris predicted Mecklenburg’s testing capacity could hit “several” thousand, depending on how commercial partners ramp up production.
“To date, we have not had a problem testing those people who need to be tested,” Harris told the county commissioners. “That doesn’t mean we’ve been able to test everyone who wants to be tested.”
Emergency orders
Harris, in her update to the Mecklenburg County commissioners, also tightened her order limiting mass gatherings to 50 people, now incorporating gyms, health clubs and theaters.
“The main focus here is to protect our community and to continue to reduce the amount of people who are exposed to this virus,” Harris said, adding those recommendations will likely change in the coming days.
But Harris’s order does not include the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, bus or light rail stops, residential buildings, hotels, shelters, grocery stores and shopping malls.
“We are in unprecedented times, and I would like to say that we are going to get through this together,” Elaine Powell, the vice chair of the county commissioners, said. “We’re doing the best we can.”
Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell attended Tuesday’s meeting remotely while she is quarantining from home. Rodriguez-McDowell said her husband, who recently traveled to Scotland, was tested for COVID-19 earlier Tuesday after he started showing symptoms.
He had tested negative for the flu, Rodriguez-McDowell told The Charlotte Observer.
“I want to make sure I don’t put others at risk,” Rodriguez-McDowell told her colleagues via conference call.
Restrictions linked to the pandemic escalated as Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all restaurants and bars to close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday — except for takeout and delivery orders.
Cooper had declared a state of emergency last week, allowing North Carolina to access federal funding. More than 60 cases of coronavirus have been reported statewide, as of Tuesday afternoon.
County and city leaders declared a local state of emergency on Sunday to likewise obtain state and federal funding.
Emergency leave for county employees
The commissioners also approved on Tuesday an emergency-leave policy for full-time, part-time and temporary county employees.
Up to 80 hours of paid leave could be offered to county employees as the coronavirus outbreak unfolds, according to Mecklenburg’s emergency preparedness policy.
Paid leave applies to employees who may be quarantined due to the coronavirus, for example, or who do not have alternative work options as Mecklenburg shuts down a wide swath of day-to-day operations.
The revised Mecklenburg policy echoes a similar measure approved by the Charlotte City Council Monday night. Charlotte’s emergency-leave program extends to both salaried and hourly employees, according to City Manager Marcus Jones.
For county employees who are now working from home, Mecklenburg will spend more than $1.5 million to purchase 850 laptops, docking stations and other devices.
Diorio, the county manager, said those technology upgrades had already been planned for fiscal year 2021, but purchases were accelerated due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In another COVID-19 emergency response, Mecklenburg will suspend in-person tax payments on Wednesday, until further notice.
Instead, residents can pay online, as well as by phone or mail. There’s also a drop box for tax payments at the Valerie C. Woodard Center, at 3205 Freedom Drive.
Coronavirus cases
Click or touch the map to see cases in the North Carolina area. Pan the map to see cases elsewhere in the world. The data for the map is maintained by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and automated by the Esri Living Atlas team. Data sources are WHO, US CDC, China NHC, ECDC, and DXY. Data is updated every hour. Note: Some cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship are grouped in Japan on this map and do not show up in the US.
Community relief fund
The Mecklenburg County commissioners unanimously approved giving $1.3 million to the COVID-19 Response Fund, which will be overseen by the Foundation for the Carolinas and United Way of Central Carolinas. That follows a $1 million contribution from the Charlotte City Council on Monday night.
Diorio sought assurance that the county’s donation would help homeless residents in Mecklenburg, including families and individuals who may become homeless due to the pandemic.
“I do not want the needs of the homeless...to go unnoticed or unsatisfied,” Diorio said.
LendingTree launched the community-wide effort Monday to aid Mecklenburg residents facing unprecedented financial hardship as the coronavirus disrupts the local economy and workforce. To donate, visit HelpCharMeck.org.
Truist and Howard R. Levine Foundation each pledged $1 million on Tuesday, as well.
