Opinion Roundup: Empty hotel rooms for homeless with COVID-19; beach county sued over access; simplified disinfecting; coaches recruit virtually; and more.

Thursday, Apr. 9, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Disturbing rise of coronavirus cases at ASL's and nursing homes; non-mandatory state employees allowed to work remotely; only Queen City qualifies for direct federal aid; new burning rules in place for western N.C.; time for another relief package; 'strawberries fields forever' - freshly picked and brought to your car; and more.

LISA SORG: ‘Shockingly large numbers’ of positive virus tests found at troubled Orange County nursing home (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- Carolina Point, a for-profit nursing home at 5935 Mt. Sinai Road in Orange County, has a lengthy history of health and safety violations and fines, federal records show. Residents have repeatedly complained about the quality of the care, according to county documents, including indifferent or abusive staff. Now Carolina Point and its residents face a life-threatening crisis. A coronavirus outbreak there has infected 60 people, hospitalized seven with COVID-19 and resulted in two deaths. “These are shockingly large numbers,” Gov. Roy Cooper said at a press conference. Alongside Cooper, HHS Sec. Mandy Cohen discussed the outbreak but declined to name the facility, citing patient privacy issues. However, Pruitt Health’s main website designated its Carolina Point facility as a “code red” because of coronavirus infections. The name of the facility was later confirmed by the Orange County legislative delegation: Reps. Graig Meyer and Verla Insko, and Sen. Valerie Foushee.

Age counts in coronavirus — and not just for seniors. Here’s what the N.C. numbers show (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Health experts have said all along that older people are more at risk for severe complications from the coronavirus, and N.C. is no exception. But preliminary data gathered across the state — and the nation — paint a more complicated picture as to how COVID-19 affects different age groups. N.C. had 3,326 reported coronavirus cases and 55 deaths as of Wednesday morning, according to state and county health officials.

Shuttered N.C. hospital is part of the state’s plan to handle a coronavirus surge (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- The state is leasing part of a former hospital in the southern tier town of Hamlet to use for overflow patients if N.C.’s hospitals reach capacity during the coronavirus pandemic. The former Sandhills Regional Medical Center would be used for non-COVID-19, non-surgical patients who are not critically ill, according to the Division of Emergency Management. Taking these patients would give hospitals more room to treat people infected with coronavirus.

Hotels with empty rooms ready to house homeless as part of pandemic fight (WRAL-TV reports) -- State and federal officials are lining up more than 16,500 rooms in hotels, dormitories and other facilities for homeless people in N.C. to stay at to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

PEGGY BRICKLEY: Rural Hospitals Unsure Coronavirus Aid Is Coming (Wall Street Journal reports) -- Embattled rural hospitals, some on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, stand to lose out on billions of dollars in federal aid, with industry experts worried that financial lifelines could come too late—or not at all.

PANTS ON FIRE: Viral Facebook post says N.C. closed its borders amid pandemic (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) -- Gov. Roy Cooper issued a "stay-at-home" order that lasts until the end of the April. One Facebook post that's circulating on social media suggests there's a blockade along N.C.'s northern border.

Grocery stores prepare for tightening social distancing requirements (WRAL-TV reports) -- As we head in to the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in North Carolina, social distancing has become absolutely necessary to reduce exposure for everyone. Many stores that are still open have started announcing new measures this week for tightening social distancing requirements.

What to expect at grocery stores regarding safety, stock and hours (WRAL-TV reports) -- Grocery and drug stores are implementing a number of changes to keep customers and their employees as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following are the precautions that many stores are taking to allow customers to continue to get their needed groceries in the safest way.

Update: Two Raleigh pastors back at home, one still in hospital with coronavirus (WRAL-TV reports) -- Two lead pastors from Mid-Way Baptist Church in Raleigh are battling coronavirus, according to the church.

Vets continue to help pets during pandemic (WRAL-TV reports) -- So your pet may be sick, need medicine or need a critical shot like a rabies shot. What are you supposed to do during this time?

NCSU: 'Very low risk' COVID-19 spreads to pets (WRAL-TV reports) -- The CDC says there is no evidence that pets can spread COVID-19 to people. N.C. State University's School of Veterinary Medicine says there is a "very low risk" that COVID-19 can spread from humans to animals.

BRIAN GRAWBURG: Doctors didn’t have tools to study influenza virus (The Wilson Times feature - Part 2 of 4 part series) -- It can be difficult for us in the 21st century to understand the problems physicians and scientists were facing as the magnitude of the pandemic began to swell. No one knew for certain what was causing the disease, though those who accepted the germ theory of disease suspected some type of bacteria.

Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts (New York Times reports) -- As the coronavirus pandemic accelerates a national trend toward voting by mail, experts say it can be conducted safely, despite Republican claims of corruption.

Voting by mail, Election Day holiday recommended for N.C.’s November election (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- If the State Board of Elections gets everything it asked for from the General Assembly, Election Day will become a state holiday and look very different. Board of Elections Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell asked lawmakers to consider 15 changes to the state’s elections during the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Continuity of State meeting, explaining that she is planning for a pandemic-infested election. She is asking lawmakers to clarify in the law whether boards of elections can hold telephonic meetings, a request many local governments have also made. And that will be important as the state board decides how to handle the November election.

Counties ask elections boards to cut funding as COVID-19 impacts loom (WRAL-TV reports) -- The demands of the approaching U.S. presidential race may not be enough to spare county elections boards from broader budget cuts prompted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge says most — but not all — of $2.5 million from Silent Sam deal must go back to UNC (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- An Orange County judge ruled that most of the $2.5 million in the deal for the Silent Sam Confederate statue will be returned to the UNC System, but not all of it. Nearly $82,000 has either already been spent on the attorney for the N.C. Sons of Confederate Veterans or needs to be paid for legal services related to the trust, according to court documents. Judge Allen Baddour voided the controversial settlement in February. The deal, negotiated behind closed doors, was originally made in November 2019 and gave the SCV ownership of the statue and access to $2.5 million to preserve and display it.

JOE KILLIAN: Judge approves $82,000 spent from “Silent Sam” settlement trust (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- An Orange County Superior Court Judge approved more than $82,000 in spending from the $2.5 million awarded to the Sons of Confederate Veterans in an invalidated legal settlement with the UNC System. Judge Allen Baddour scrapped the controversial settlement in February, finding the Confederate heritage group had no standing to sue for ownership of the “Silent Sam” Confederate monument toppled by protesters in 2018. He ordered the group to return the $2.5 million given to the group in a trust for the care of the statue. Baddour ordered an accounting of any money already spent from the trust.

Frustrated with ‘paycheck protection,’ restaurant owners turn to state officials for help (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Not feeling confident in the federal aid program, some in the state’s restaurant industry are calling on the NCGA to step in with its own aid program to help them avoid going out of business. “The federal aid is not coming fast enough,” said Amber Moshakos, whose family’s LM Restaurants owns multiple restaurants in Raleigh and Wilmington, including Taverna Agora and Carolina Ale House.

Is it time for a fourth coronavirus aid package? Here’s what N.C.’s representatives say (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Congress recently passed a $2 trillion coronavirus aid package, known as the CARES Act, the third emergency bill moved by lawmakers in recent weeks to deal with the health and economic impacts of the virus on a reeling nation. It passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. Already there is talk of a fourth “phase” of coronavirus aid, but there are some partisan differences emerging in what should be considered. The U.S. House and Senate are not expected back in Washington for weeks, but lawmakers have been presenting issues they’d like to see in the next package and, now, an interim package this week.

Another Burr stock trade, from 2018, raises eyebrows (WRAL-TV reports) -- U.S. Sen. Richard Burr dumped shares in a Dutch fertilizer company before it faltered.

Without government aid, undocumented immigrants are turning to local help for COVID-19 (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Domestic work cleaning the homes of American families is a typical and, relatively speaking, stable job for Latina immigrants like Mayra Pérez of Durham. But now, Pérez has gone without work for weeks since the coronavirus pandemic started in N.C.

Non-mandatory state employees in N.C. told to telework, but that won’t work for everyone (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- It has been almost a month since thousands of N.C.’s state employees were told they could start working from home, soon after the state’s first confirmed cases of the coronavirus. While some state government facilities are closed, the state government remains open and operational, lawmakers were told on Tuesday. But not everyone’s jobs can be done at home with a laptop and a desk or kitchen table.

Raleigh – N.C.’s 2nd biggest city – is too small for direct COVID-19 aid (N.C. McClatchy) -- Raleigh grew by almost 200,000 people during the past 20 years, but it didn’t grow quite fast enough to qualify for direct aid under the federal government’s $2 trillion stimulus bill. The bill limits direct aid to cities with a population of more than 500,000. Raleigh’s population is about 470,000. Charlotte, with a population of about 872,000, is the only N.C. city big enough to get a direct share of the $150 billion set aside for state, local and tribal governments. Raleigh, which ranks among the 50 largest U.S cities, shouldn’t have to depend on intermediary levels of government for assistance. It knows best what it needs and has the government expertise to properly apply federal aid.

Civil rights groups sues governor, seek release of inmates amid COVID-19 spread (WRAL-TV reports) -- A coalition of civil rights groups filed suit against the Cooper administration Wednesday seeking the immediate release of inmates in state prisons at high risk for COVID-19.

Southport cancels Fourth of July celebration (AP reports) -- A Fourth of July celebration in N.C. has been canceled over concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak, officials announced Tuesday.

Dare County sued over virus-related blockade (WRAL-TV reports) -- Some Dare County homeowners have sued the county, saying restrictions keeping non-residents out of the county during the coronavirus pandemic violate their rights.

Feds sending some prisoners to home confinement to curb spread of virus (WRAL-TV reports) -- As coronovairus rips through prisons nationwide, the federal Bureau of Prisons is reviewing which inmates it can release to complete their sentences at home to help curb the spread of the virus.

Survey: Many N.C. tech execs say biz is up, still hiring but economic recovery won’t be quick (TechWire/WRAL-TV reports) -- N.C.’s high-tech sector is holding up well – so far – during the virus crisis but executives for the most part predict an economic recovery won’t begin until August or September, according to a new survey from the N.C. Technology Association. And many companies are still hiring.

UNC System Reduces State Budget Request By $300 Million (WUNC-FM reports) -- The UNC System is tightening its belt in anticipated billions of lost state tax revenue in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Professor’s Graphic Simplifies Disinfecting (Coastal Review reports) - -Rachel Noble, a professor of public health microbiology at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, has created an infographic to provide to the community accurate information about disinfecting at home with readily available materials.

JANETTE PIPPIN: ENC schools announce plans for free meals during spring break (Kinston Free Press reports) -- Spring break is approaching for area students, and while some schools are planning to continue providing free meals for students, others are planning to pause or change the way food is distributed for the week. Public school districts across the area have established programs that have continued to provide breakfast and lunch to students since their closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, with most setting locations where meals are distributed.

LCPS personnel volunteer to keep meal distribution going over Easter (Kinston Free Press reports) -- Lenoir County Public Schools personnel have volunteered to forego time off to help the district continue to distribute no-cost lunches and breakfasts during its scheduled Easter break..

ADAM SMITH: Tar Heels coach Williams adjusts amid pandemic (The Times News/Kinston Free Press reports) -- Roy Williams has been conducting weekly conversations with the five members of the highly rated recruiting class that N.C. has signed for next basketball season, though the coach remains unsure of when those future Tar Heels will arrive on campus. Normally, that would happen in June. But with summer school courses having moved online to go the way of virtual instruction due to the coronavirus outbreak, their enrollment has become one of many unresolved situations waiting in a to-be-determined holding pattern.

THOMAS GOLDSMITH: N.C. hospice providers face new obstacles operating under shadow of COVID-19 (N.C. Health News reports) -- Hospice organizations typically work quietly toward providing some level of peace for people near death and their caregivers. But with N.C.’s health-care system ensnared by COVID-19, hospice care is encountering myriad obstacles to its compassionate mission.

Nursing homes becoming 'hotspot' for coronavirus with multiple cases at several new N.C. sites (WRAL-TV reports) -- The upswing of coronavirus cases at nursing homes in the state continues to be a big problem with two new locations reporting multiple cases.

More deaths spur new N.C. nursing home directives (AP reports) -- N.C. health officials on Wednesday ordered new resident and employee protections in the state's nursing homes and similar settings after the new coronavirus further penetrated those facilities, leading to more deaths.

Employees at Wilson pork plant worry about safety amid coronavirus outbreak (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fear is growing among employees still working at a Wilson pork processing plant, which continues to operate as Wilson County grapples with dozens of coronavirus cases.

LIORA ENGEL-SMITH: Initiative aims to connect patients to addiction treatment by building better networks (N.C. Health News reports) -- A UNC-MAHEC partnership will create regional referral networks using a “hub and spoke” model to better care for those with substance use disorders.

More than 30 Test Positive for COVID-19 After Outbreak at Pinehurst Nursing Home (Southern Pines Pilot reports) -- More than 30 people at a Pinehurst nursing facility have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Moore County Health Department.

ELIZABETH ANNE BROWN: N.C. needs more medical volunteers. Here's how you can help (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- As the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 climbs statewide, N.C.'s emergency management director Mike Sprayberry has renewed the call for medical volunteers.

Filing reveals Mission has over 120 patients 'under investigation' for COVID-19 (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- According to the official state tally, 271 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized across N.C. as of April 4. But that number only includes patients who have tested positive for the disease — and clinicians warn that severe limitations on testing are keeping that count artificially low. Recent filings from Mission Hospital's ongoing nurses union battle indicate that the number of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 is exceeded by the number of people with suspected COVID-19 in hospital beds.

N.C. Medical Society teams with Wilmington firm to launch telemedicine solution (TechWire/WRAL-TV reports) -- As demand for telemedicine surges during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the N.C. Medical Society is teaming with a Wilmington startup incubator to offer a remote solution for healthcare providers.

Hope lines: Phones open for health care professionals, all North Carolinians (WRAL-TV reports) -- The N.C. DHHS announced phone hotlines to provide mental health support to North Carolinians throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Novant Health patients join second phase of COVID-19 clinic trials (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Novant Health will be the first healthcare system in the southeastern U.S. to initiate Phase 2 clinical trials for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms, according to biotechnology company CytoDyn. The placebo-controlled trial of 75 patients at up to 10 Novant Health centers will evaluate the safety of using Leronlimab, an experimental drug also used to treat HIV, in patients with mild to moderate documented COVID-19 illness, according to CytoDyn. Novant Health spokeswoman Megan Rivers said the trials will be held at Novant Health Presbyterian, Forsyth and Rowan medical centers. Novant is based in Winston-Salem and is one of the two major hospital systems in Charlotte.

​​​​​​​Outer Banks property owners sue Dare County for access to homes, want borders reopened (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports) -- The federal suit calls Dare County's restrictions unconstitutional.

Six people sue N.C. county over beach access (AP reports) -- A N.C. county’s entry restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic are unconstitutional and beyond its authority, a federal lawsuit contends.

Wrightsville Beach increases fines for violators (WRAL-TV reports) -- A N.C. beach town is increasing fines for people who violate beach closures in light of rules established as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

N.C. Forest Service issues open burning ban for all of Western N.C. (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- Planning a backyard campfire this weekend? Better make other plans or stick to grilling. The N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on open burning across all of Western N.C. The ban went into effect April 3 and is in place until further notice.

Former AL MVP Josh Hamilton indicted on felony charge of injury to a child (Washington Post reports) -- Former American League MVP Josh Hamilton was indicted by a Texas grand jury on a third-degree felony charge of injury to a child. The indictment stems from a September 2019 incident in which he is accused of hitting and scratching his 14-year-old daughter. Hamilton, 38, was arrested in October by authorities in Tarrant County, Tex., in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he maintains a residence. The incident allegedly took place at his home two days after Hamilton, a member of the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame, was honored in the final game at the team’s former stadium, Globe Life Park.

SCOTT FOWLER: Dell Curry thought he had COVID-19. What that was like, and what Steph needed during pandemic (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Dell Curry is the patriarch of the first family of Charlotte basketball — the second-leading scorer in history for the Charlotte Hornets, as well as the father of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry and Dallas Maverick guard Seth Curry. The elder Curry would normally be busy this time of year serving as the Hornets’ TV analyst. Instead, like the rest of us, Dell Curry’s life has been upended by the fallout from the coronavirus. Curry, 55, spoke with me on the phone Wednesday about his own recent health scare, how his family is coping with the quarantine on both coasts and what Steph Curry didn’t have at his house in California but really needed.

DREW C. WILSON: A berry, berry good idea: Drive-thru offers strawberries direct to consumers (The Wilson Times reports) -- Cars were lined up by the half-dozen Wednesday morning as Deans Farm Market began drive-thru, curbside strawberry service. So many had been sold by early afternoon that workers had to stop and head out into the fields to pick some more.