Above: Governor Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) address the latest covid-19 concerns.
SOUTHEASTERN, N.C. — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced statewide recommendations for all of the state’s residents as covid-19 cases rise.
All organizations are encouraged to cancel or postpone gatherings of more than 100 people. Employers are asked to allow employees to work from home, stagger work schedules if necessary, and implement in-person workspace arrangements that optimize space among employees.
The recommendations take effect Friday, March 13.
“We expect people to abide by this guidance. If we see that is not happening we do have the ability to make it an order. We believe the people of North Carolina are going to cooperate,” Governor Cooper said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
Risk levels
High-risk individuals are those who live in the same home as someone who has positively tested for covid-19. North Carolina has 14 presumed positive and 1 confirmed case of the viral respiratory illness as of Thursday; the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global pandemic on Wednesday.
Encountering an individual that has covid-19 within a 6-foot radius for 10 minutes or more qualifies as a medium risk, according to updated Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Low risk includes walking through the isles of a grocery store, passing a covid-19-positive individual, according to Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
No school closures, yet
No preemptive closures of schools are recommended at this time. School-specific closures may become necessary to facilitate cleaning in instances when the virus is detected in staff or students.
Research suggests children are at a lower risk of contracting the virus, Cohen said. Individuals who are 65 or older or those with underlying health conditions, including heart, lung, diabetes, or a weakened immune system are most at risk of experiencing severe risk if they do get sick. This does not mean these individuals are more likely to contract the virus, Cohen said.
Testing
North Carolina’s state labs are experiencing an “extremely limited” supply of extraction materials necessary to conduct testing. Testing material promised from the CDC did not arrive Thursday, according to Cohen.
The state lab is capable of testing around 700 people, she said, but private and academic labs have increased testing efforts on their own accord. Individuals with fever and lower respiratory illness who have tested negative for the flu should be tested for covid-19.
Other concerns
Asked about avoiding grocery stores or public court dates, Governor Cooper said the state asks organizations to make rational decisions to protect public health. This can be accomplished by abiding by the recently-imposed distance recommendations.
Cohen said the state is identifying ways to expanding bed capacity at area hospitals.
Acknowledging the economic impact the recommendations will have on small businesses and working-class residents, Cooper said the state is looking to identify methods to expand unemployment benefits and public aide.
“We are looking at all of the legal avenues we have to be able to do that,” he said.
