RALEIGH, N.C. — Here are the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in North Carolina and across the globe:
What you need to know:
- At least 492 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus. No deaths have been reported in the state.
- More than 42,500 people in the U.S. are infected, and more than 540 people have died across the country.
- Gov. Roy Cooper has ordered all schools statewide to remain closed through May 15.
- Gatherings of 50 or more people have been banned in North Carolina, necessitating the closure of movie theaters, gyms and fitness clubs, bowling alleys and sweepstakes parlors as of March 25. Barbershops, salons and some other businesses also will be closed by executive order.
- Businesses that remain open are encouraged to take the temperatures of all employees and customers before allowing them in the building.
- Mecklenburg County and Pitt County have issued a stay-at-home proclamation, starting March 26, and Durham is expected to follow suit. Governors at least 16 states have ordered all residents to remain at home aside from essential services, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he has no current plans to do so.
- The State Department has warned all U.S. citizens not to travel internationally.
- A toll-free Hope Line has been established for older adults experiencing isolation from social distancing. Call 1-866-578-4673 or 1-866-578-HOPE.
Important links:
Get details on NC cases:
Latest updates:
Tuesday, March 24
10:47 p.m.: Durham Mayor Steve Schewel tells us a stay-at-home order is coming to his city on Wednesday.
Schewel said a few days ago that he would consider a stay at home order if the state did not set one. He also said he thought it would be easier to enforce if the state did it. At this point, the state hasn't done it so he is making the change for Durham.
Several states already have stay-at-home orders, while some call them shelter-in-place orders. The rules differ depending on the area, but in most places it means you can only leave your home for something essential like doctor's appointments or to go to the grocery store.
We spoke with Schewel Tuesday night and he said he will answer questions about specifics Wednesday morning. Either way the streets of Durham are about to get much quieter than they are already.
Copa in downtown Durham hasn't been open for customers since Gov. Roy Cooper ordered all restaurants to move to take out only last week. Owner Roberto Copa Matos said he's in favor of the home order.
"I think for a short period of time I would be OK with that," Matos said. "I think if we are really wanting to contain the spread of the virus, it is very simple. We need to eliminate our interaction with each other."
9:25 p.m.: Person County has its first COVID-19 case. Officials with the county's health department said the person is currently in isolation at home "and is doing well." No further details were released on the patient.
8:24 p.m.: Beaufort County has its first two cases of COVID-19. The Beaufort County Health Department announced two cases after conducting tests on Tuesday. "Both individuals are doing well and are isolated at home," health officials said in a press release Tuesday.
NBC affiliate WITN also reports a new case in Lenoir County and three new ones in Bertie County. At least 491 people in North Carolina have now tested positive for the coronavirus. The Lenoir County case was believed to be travel-related. Bertie County officials told WITN the three in Bertie County are separate and they don't know each other.
8:11 p.m.: Nash County has identified its fourth COVID-19 case. The Nash County Health Department posted a notice about it Tuesday night on its Facebook page, saying "Public health officials feel that this fourth case was a direct link to the county's third case."
7:30 p.m.: Durham Mayor Steve Schewel will issue a stay-at-home order for local residents during an 11 a.m. Wednesday news conference at City Hall, according to an advisory by the city.
Schewel said last week that he might consider making such a move if Gov. Roy Cooper didn't issue a statewide order, but he said he was reluctant to do so because the Triangle's regional nature would make it difficult to enforce.
6:15 p.m.: Samaritan’s Purse will donate 10,000 surgical masks to UNC Health on Wednesday, a UNC Health spokesman said. Since the hospital system put out a call for help with scarce supplies over the weekend, more than 30,000 masks have been donated.
The Boone-based charity is donating another 25,000 masks to other North Carolina hospitals.
6:10 p.m.: Raleigh-based Golden Corral says it has furloughed close to 2,300 workers and suspend operations at 35 corporate-owned restaurants because of the coronavirus outbreak. Some franchise restaurants are still operating.
"We are committed to supporting our friends, colleagues and coworkers during this difficult transition," CEO Lance Trenary said in a statement, noting that Golden Corral plans to assist restaurant workers with food for their families and provide guidance as they seek unemployment.
6 p.m.: Noting that New York City is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said anyone who has been in the city recently but fled to get away from the outbreak needs to quarantine themselves for two weeks to avoid spreading the virus to new areas.
5:45 p.m.: President Donald Trump says he hopes to move past the pandemic by Easter.
During a news conference, he ticked off a list of supplies being sent to areas being overwhelmed with coronavirus patients – 8 million respirators, 14 million surgical masks, 4,000 ventilators – and said manufacturers are stepping up to produce needed supplies.
The Army Corps of Engineers is building four hospitals within the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, and a hospital ship will soon head to New York to assist in the local response.
5:40 p.m.: A retired Army veteran from Wake County is the latest coronavirus case in North Carolina. The person had traveled out of state and went to Womack Army Medical Center last week, complaining of flu-like symptoms. Th eperson has been isolated at home since then.
5:15 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper has asked President Donald Trump to declare North Carolina a disaster area because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Such a declaration would provide federal assistance for individuals and businesses affected by virus-related shutdowns.
"It’s important that we help North Carolinians stay protected from the health impacts of COVID-19 and recover economically from the financial impacts this crisis is having on our state,” Cooper said in a statement.
4:45 p.m.: A number of abortion opponents have written to Gov. Roy Cooper, demanding the health clinics in North Carolina stop providing abortions during the coronavirus outbreak.
"By ceasing both surgical and chemical abortions now, abortion providers will free up much needed medical equipment and decrease the demand placed on ER’s due to complications from both medical and surgical abortion," they said in the letter. "This also will protect women who will, without doubt, need follow-up care, including infection treatment and transfusions, from North Carolina’s emergency care centers and hospitals."
4:30 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper has directed $50 million in school flexibility funds to help schools serve students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money comes from unused funds from the current and previous school years, as well as the State Emergency Response and Disaster Relief Fund.
"By allowing fund flexibility, our school systems can use funds where it benefits students and families most by continuing to provide meals, improving distance learning, childcare and much more," Cooper said in a statement.
4:20 p.m.: State Sens. Warren Daniel, R-Burke, and Danny Britt, R-Robeson, said Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker cannot unilaterally stop accepting pistol purchase permit applications. They noted in a joint statement that state law requires such permits to be approved or denied within 14 days.
Baker said he wants to limit the amount of public traffic in his office to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, so he won't accept any new applications through the end of April.
"Sheriff Baker must immediately rescind his illegal decision to halt sale of pistols in Wake County," Daniel and Britt said. "People are already suspicious and on edge. It’s reckless to illegally suspend their Second Amendment rights just when they need assurance that they can trust government."
Baker responded that state law doesn't preclude him from deciding when to accept an application.
"This decision does not limit anyone’s right to purchase a handgun," he said in a statement. "This decision is not a violation of anyone’s Second Amendment Rights. Most importantly, this action will limit persons encountering one another during this time of State of Emergency."
4:05 p.m.: New Hanover County officials said they have identified the county's first case of community transmission of the new coronavirus. The case brings the county's total to 10.
4 p.m.: The Dow Jones average surged 2,000 points – its biggest-ever point gain – as Congress moves closer to passing a coronavirus aid package.
3 p.m.: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with the North Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral network to launch a hotline to provide child care options for children of critical workers who do not have access to typical care because of COVID-19 closures.
Families who have flexible working arrangements are encouraged to stay at home with their children. Workers who need care can call 1-888-600-1685 to receive information about local options for children from infants through age 12. The hotline is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
2:55 p.m.: Mecklenburg County officials have issued a stay-at-home proclamation for Charlotte-area residents, according to NBC affiliate WCNC. The order takes effect at 8 a.m. Thursday and runs through April 15.
According to officials, the proclamation means people can go outside for a walk and go to the grocery store, the doctor or other essential places while staying at least 6 feet away from others. But residents shouldn't go to work if it's a non-essential business or visit friends and family.
Mecklenburg County has 142 coronavirus cases, up almost 50 percent since Monday.
2:35 p.m.: Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said no pistol purchase or concealed carry permits can be requested through the end of April to try to keep the new coronavirus out of the sheriff's office. The hiatus will give deputies a chance to catch up on the backlog of pending permits, he said.
Nearly 300 people a day have applied for permits so far this year, more than triple the number last year, officials said.
The Wake County Sheriff's Office already is quarantining in individual cells new people booked into the detention center and has, with permission of state courts, halted serving civil papers and carrying out evictions to limit the spread of the virus.
2:20 p.m.: President Donald Trump wants to get workers nationwide back on the job by Easter, even with ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
2:10 p.m.: State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Tilson said cutbacks on coronavirus testing are part of new guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People going out to be tested are more likely to expose others to the virus, and such tests also consume supplies are already in short supply, she said.
1:55 p.m.: Wake County health officials are scaling back on testing for the new coronavirus, noting that "community spread" of viral infections warrants a more focused approach.
"Now that North Carolina has community transmission of the virus, we are moving to a community-based mitigation strategy aimed at decreasing the spread, especially among those most at risk of serious illness,” Dr. Kim McDonald, Wake County medical director, said in a statement. “In this phase, testing and contact tracing are more focused than in the broad-based containment approach we executed early in the outbreak.”
Now, individuals and families who do not fall into an at-risk group but start to experience COVID-19 symptoms – fever, cough and difficulty breathing – should self-isolate for seven days after the onset of symptoms. If symptoms are mild, they do not need testing, officials said. If serious illness develops, they should call their primary care provider.
Once the symptoms resolve, they should remain at home without fever for three more days.
Golden LEAF, a Rocky Mount-based economic development foundation, has set aside $15 million for the program.
1:40 p.m.: The North Carolina Supreme Court has canceled sessions set for April 20 in Durham, May 4 in Wilmington, May 5 in Fayetteville and May 6 in Carthage because of the pandemic.
12:30 p.m.: The North Carolina Conference of United Methodist Church Disaster Ministries is donating 3,000 N95 masks to Cape Fear Valley Health. The donation is part of the Garner-based group’s larger donation to the state, which will receive another 12,000 N95 masks. The masks were originally purchased for the group’s recent hurricane relief efforts in the U.S.
Hospital systems across central North Carolina have put out a call in recent days for donations of needed medical supplies and personal protective equipment for providers amid the pandemic.
12:20 p.m.: To protect officers from the new coronavirus, various law enforcement agencies, including the Orange County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Durham, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, aren't dispatching officers to non-violent 911 calls, such as fraud, property damage or larceny cases where the thief has fled. Instead, officers will complete incident reports over the phone, or people can complete the reports themselves online, the departments said.
12:05 p.m.: Burlington-based LabCorp is processing about 20,000 coronavirus tests a day and will soon be completing "a lot more" than 100,000 a week, CEO Adam Schechter told CNBC.
12 p.m.: Trying to avoid a critical blood shortage, UNC Rex Hospital and WakeMed are partnering with The Blood Connection (TBC) on a community blood drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m Thursday at PNC Arena. The blood drive will prioritize social distancing to ensure the health and wellness of all donors and staff:
- Donors will be asked to wait in their cars to eliminate the need for people to gather in the same area before their donation.
- Donors will be contacted via call or text when TBC is ready to start the donation process.
- Donor chairs will be spaced as far apart as possible.
TBC has seen a sharp increase in blood drive cancellations and very low donor turnout in recent weeks due to fears surrounding the virus, accumulating to a deficit of more than 9,000 units of blood. As that number continues to rise, TBC and other blood centers nationwide are concerned that this trend could lead to blood shortages, which will impact local hospitals.
11:30 a.m.: Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India has announced “a total ban of coming out of your homes” for three weeks in the nation of 1.3 billion people to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
11 a.m.: Performers and businesses are going virtual to deliver entertainment to people staying home.
The North Carolina Symphony is offering a virtual concert and lesson materials to teachers and parents educating students from home. The virtual lesson introduces composers and shares fun facts about their lives and music. The materials, appropriate for third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students, can be accessed at ncsymphony.org/virtual with password 1932.
The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro are also offering virtual experiences via Facebook.
Libraries are closed, but communities can use their library cards to access eBooks, eAudiobooks, digital magazines and more.
10:45 a.m.: North Carolina has received 139,280 unemployment claims since early last week, according to the state Department of Commerce.
10:30 a.m.: North Carolina's coronavirus case count surpasses 400, increasing by 12 percent since Monday to hit 434 total.
9:45 a.m.: Ashley Christensen has
temporarily closed all her restaurants. She wrote that Tuesday will be the last day of take-out service at Poole's Diner, Poole'side Pies and Beasley's Chicken and Waffles for the foreseeable future. Her other restaurants, Death and Taxes, Chuck's and Fox Liquor Bar closed last week.
Garth Brooks has postponed his upcoming Charlotte show until June.
9:00 a.m.: As more people manage cabin fever by getting outside, overcrowding at some state parks is making "social distancing" standards difficult to enforce. As a result, Lake James State Park, South Mountains State Park and Stone Mountains State Park have all closed until further notice.
Other closed state parks include: Crowders Mountain, Fort Fisher, Fort Macon, Hanging Rock, Lake Waccamaw and Raven Rock.
7:30 a.m.: WRAL's Mikaya Thurmond is reporting from home as part of a national effort to promote social distancing. While 16 states and 43 percent of the county's population is under "stay-at-home" orders, North Carolinians have not yet been ordered to shelter in place. However, local hospitals are strongly urging Gov. Roy Cooper to enact such an order.
7:00 a.m.: Members of the North Carolina National Guard are helping supply hospitals across the state, including medical personal protective equipment.
6:30 a.m.: Many festivals and events have been postponed or canceled, and among them are fundraisers and charitable organizations.
Sola Coffee Cafe's Hot Mini 5K for ALS has been moved to June.
With senior adults already at a risk for getting the coronavirus, the Meals on Wheels organization wants to minimize volunteers' contact with their clients. Meals will be frozen and delivered five at one time. The program is on hold this week so organizers can get ready for the transition.
5:30 a.m.: The hashtag #TheGreatAmericanTakeout is trending on social media, encouraging people to support restaurants on Tuesday by eating at least one delivery or pick-up meal.
Panera Bread, The Cheesecake Factory, Noodles & Company, IHOP, Blaze Pizza and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit helped organize the event, but all restaurants could benefit from increased business now that their dining rooms are closed.
5:15 a.m.: For the first time on Monday, the U.S. reported more than 100 coronavirus-related deaths in a single day. More than 42,500 people in the U.S. are infected, and more than 540 people have died across the country.
No coronavirus deaths have been reported in North Carolina.
The drive-thru, located at the Cumberland County Public Health Center at 1235 Ramsey St., is not open to the general public. People have to schedule an appointment or get a referral from a health care provider.
Testing will be available Tuesday and Thursday between 9 a.m. and noon and continue as long as supplies and staffing is available.
4:15 a.m.: Chinese authorities have ended a two-month lockdown for most of the virus-hit Hubei province, which has seen no new infections for more than a week. People with a clean bill of health will be allowed to leave. The city of Wuhan, where the outbreak started in late December, will remain locked down until April 8. China first barred people from leaving or entering Wuhan on Jan. 23.
Related stories:
