Wake County leaders close salons, gyms and playgrounds, limit nursing home visitors

Good afternoon everyone

And thank you for joining us here today

My name is Great Ford chairman of the Wake County

Board of Commissioners

I'm joined while we're counting Manager David Ellis are human

service is Director Regina head away and our emergency management

Director door Shawn Patel

We along with 100 recount employees have been working long

hours these last three weeks to respond to the cove

in 19 virus within our community Emergency operations center has

been bustling from sunrise to long after sunset every day

since the first confirmed case here beginning this month

I just want to say how much I appreciate our

staff for taking time away from their loved ones to

serve our residents during this challenging time

There are so many of our staff members across the

county partners all working together to help plan for and

prepare for this virus in this crisis I'd also like

to thank our municipal leaders for their unanimous ongoing collaboration

and support

As we all work together specifically in

Today's recommendations and directives have all been supported and signed

off on by all 12 Wake County's mayors and I

want to acknowledge them here today Fixes fall

Mayor Smith of Andrew Mayor Gilbert Apex Weinbrecht of Carrot

Mia McLeod Click

You're Shool of Dura Mayor Byrne A Heatwave arena

Mere Marshburn Garner Your Sears Holly sprints Me Roberson of

Nightingale Mere calling of Morris Phil You're Bollman of Raleigh

Your current of roles

Mayor Jones of Like Forrest your Gray Rendell and Mayor

Athenee of Zebra

Thank you so much to each of you is your

community Leaders were working with the county in town as

the Kobe 19 situation continues to evolve

So much is our response should our response and that's

why we're here today

The number of positive cases here in the county is

increasing daily and putting more and more of our fellow

citizens and residents at risk

And that's why we're talking about new steps today that

we're taking to stop the spread of Corona virus

But this time I would like to invite our account

manager David Alice to the podium tell you about some

additional restrictions were putting in place today to protect are

most at risk residents from contracting the virus and also

help keep our emergency departments from being overcome with sick

patients in the days ahead

Thank you Chairman for good afternoon everyone as a chairman

mentioned I have some important information to share with you

today about the county's response to Kobe

19 to the cova 19 situation

As you know as we mentioned earlier the number of

people have tested positive for the virus and Wake County

continues to grow

The current number of positive results in Wake County is

49

We're still waiting on results of 47 additional tests with

more people being monitored every day

Based on this upward trend and God from the state

we've decided to take additional action to help stop spread

to help stop the spread of cove in 19 in

our community and protect our health care system from becoming

overwhelmed

Today Chairman Ford signed a new emergency proclamation that adds

an additional layer of safeguards to keep our one million

residents safe and they will remain in effect through April

30th although they may be rescinded earlier if conditions sufficiently

changed

I'd like to walk you through those conditions now

First we're telling all fitness centers gyms hair nails Long's

spaz tanning massage and tattoos alongs and other rooming service

is that they must close

It's too difficult for these places to operate and observe

social distancing practices as recommended by the state and the

CDC

We're also prohibiting large gatherings of 50 or more people

in one place that includes auditoriums theaters conference rooms and

any other confined space both indoors and outdoors

The moves directly in line with guidance from Governor Roy

Cooper and state health officials to maximize opportunities for social

distancing it does not include critical service is like hospitals

government operations banks retailers and retailers that provide essential service

is pet stores and hardware stores

We understand that business owners may have questions about whether

they can remain open or if they have to close

and we've anticipated that and are ready to help

We will if we built a special page on our

Cove in 19 website Wake up that Calm Cove in

19 that list different types of businesses and gives examples

of which ones could stay open under the new declarations

and which one should close

We've also created a special phone on the business

Owners can call with questions about this process

That number is 919856 74 20 It's live now and

staff will answer calls from ADM through 8 p.m. Seven

days a week

We're also teaming up with our partners at the Great

Valley Chamber of Commerce in Wake County economic development to

assist businesses who are affected by this change They've graciously

agreed to post information on the Web site that will

for businesses about opportunities for financial assistance offer communications and

technology tools and share resource is about cove in 19

The private sector especially are small

Businesses and restaurants in Wake County are part of what

makes our quality of life here so good and we

want to support them during this time as much as

possible

And I want to say none of these decisions is

easy

A lot of research and thought goes into making them

It's a job we don't take lightly

We understand how incredibly difficult it is for small business

owners to weather this Kobe 19 store

We truly appreciate the service is and value that they

provide

But the risk of keeping nonessential businesses open right now

is too big for our community to bear

We need to close them down for a short period

of time because that's what's in the best interest of

our residents

Health and safety

Another area being addressed by the amendments to the State

of Emergency Declaration is local nursing homes long term care

facilities and assisted living facilities

Residents 8 65 and older and those with underlying health

issues are most of the risk for becoming seriously ill

if they contract Cove in 19 to protect them in

the staff care for them

We're now required things with Phil facilities to stop hosting

gatherings like social events where visitors and residents will be

closer than six feet apart

Even in dining areas we're asking them to practice social

distancing and seek residents at least six feet apart

We're also restricting visitation

Starting today residents of nursing homes long term care facilities

and assisted living facilities can only have one adult visitors

per day unless it is an end of life situation

And that visit must take place inside the resident's room

Visitors must be screened for fever of 100.4 degrees or

higher a cough or difficulty breathing before they can enter

the building

Then they must show I d side of Visitors Law

and provide contact information in case our public health division

needs to reach them

Volunteers in nursing homes long term care facilities and assisted

living centers must also be screened for Kobe 19

So again we're putting these measures in place to protect

the residents of these facilities who are most in risk

and prevent an overwhelming of our health care system

The new declaration also prohibits our residents from using publicly

and probably owned H L A playgrounds

This new step prevents adults and Children from sharing germs

and breaking social distancing guidelines as they play

Action does not include backyard playground equipment or other amenities

that parks open spaces such as greenways and welcome trails

They're open for use and we encourage residents to continue

biking hiking and running on them while following good social

distance practice

I've just shared with you some of the new restrictions

that are now in place due to cover 19

Next I want to share

The recommendations were making to businesses that remain open to

help stop the spread of Corona virus

First we start

We suggest they start to in temperature checks and respiratory

screenings for employees before they come into the workplace Wake

County

We're taking the same approach

Our employees who have been working 12 are ours in

our emergency operation center

Each employees scream before they walk into the sea to

ensure that their temperature falls within the guidelines

And that's important because that way if anyone is sick

we can send them home immediately and not risk infecting

the whole team

We have businesses will see the value in taking this

precaution

Second recommend the businesses extend the same health screening approach

to their customers

We asked them to consider checking for client checking clients

for fever is greater than 100.4 and breathing issues before

they enter the building

Business businesses can then turn away sick customers and minimize

the risk not only to their employees but two other

other clients

None of this is easy folks

Kobe 19 is changing that our day to day lives

in ways that we could not have imagined a week

two weeks or three weeks ago

We understand it's challenging to close the doors of your

businesses stop visiting loved ones and nursing homes and not

taking your Children to the playground and we appreciate the

sacrifice that everyone is making for the benefit of the

Wake County community

By putting these new restrictions and recommendations into effect we're

limiting the spread of covert 19 protecting our residents who

are most interest and ensuring our health care system has

still has the capacity to continue serving our community

We're all in this together

We're all on Team Wake

I want to thank you for coming today and we'll

take a few questions

Yeah going on with you

place

Why not now given how serious this fan Sure I

can start with that and Director pet away

And don't show Patel conjoining

That is definitely a tool that is in the toolbox

But we feel like this is a good step right

now that if we do these things now it potentially

could help stop the spread of your own

Yeah the only thing I would add is that we've

been doing many things In addition to what you've heard

about today we need to give a bit of time

for these things to work before we moved to a

more stringent requirements

So we would ask you to help us ask the

public to please it here to the recommendations and prohibitions

that you've heard about today

Let's all get together and see if we can make

those work first before we move into something else

Okay And I'd like to say that the Emergency Operations

Center continues to evaluate this on a daily basis multiple

times a day with our health care part partners as

well as our community partners

So as we see this progress as we have over

the last couple of weeks we will continue to make

recommendations

Eso a stay at home order it again is a

tool in our toolbox

We just don't feel that we are there yet a

TTE this point

And we're hoping that these additional opportunities for our residents

and visitors to Wake County to implement Maur social distancing

will allow us to continue to slow this virus

A message which could you all see that we could

see that happen as we start to see sustained community

spread of this virus a CZ other parts of our

country have seen and other countries have seen so again

we continue to monitor the situation with all of our

partners on a daily basis

We have our COC open seven days a week to

be able to do that and have a coordinated approach

across our county

Thank you

Next question it turns out crowd would you people whole

off shall lay one of these legs and they still

on their home

No I would not but I would recommend that they

practice social distancing and that staying six feet away from

another person 20 minutes or more if it's crowded just

give the crowd time

Thio you know move out of your way a little

bit

But now we want people to use our bring ways

and trails and to get that fresh air that's also

good for their mental health

Another question for the top we've got out of the

facility probably

spread so we are in constant contact with that facility

as well as the operators of that facility

From the time that we have this test go in

into the process we continue to be in touch with

them

A TTE

This time we don't have any additional cases that we

are that have we have information for

But what we will continue to do is ensure that

their staff is being safe

We ensure that with the restrictions that we're putting in

place not only that facility but all of our don't

care facility

And long term care facilities are practicing safe guidelines toe

limit visitation and to ensure that our most vulnerable population

to this virus is staying a safe as we can

have them be in those facilities

Thank you

way have I mentioned earlier Excuse me His share as

scared before mentioned We have had conversations and we have

agreements with the mayors of all the towns within accountants

and we will be looking toward towards our public safety

police departments and sheriff's departments to enforce these regulations

And I will end with our social distancing and recommendations

Up to this point

Our communities have been very good at complying and encouraging

others to comply

And I really appreciate that We need to thank them

for that

If I may

I'm just gonna add to that that way

All had each of us individually

Ondas a community have a responsibility to take care of

ourselves and make choices for ourselves but also for each

other

And that's one of the reasons why we are implementing

these additional restrictions today

But we have a social contract folks the understanding that

we are all working together we're all making individual and

community choices together means we're all responsible for ensuring that

these restrictions are put in place there for the health

and safety and well being of each and every one

of us here in Wake County

So there is an expectation that their followed in instances

and other communities around the country where they have not

been followed stringently

Well then local governments and state and national government have

a look at other opportunities for adding additional restrictions

We don't want to have to do that at this

point

We will wait for additional data on brother circumstances is

needed

But right now we're all responsible for ensuring that these

additional restrictions are followed

Sorry I really wasn't clear

May be my fault

The person is what is their steps

Really I have to get back to you on their

their specific status

What I can say though is all of our cases

that we have positive and under monitoring we do check

in with them on a regular basis on ensure that

you know we understand where they are in the process

of the disease as well as their recovery

For those that are positive our right

to go around so are testing capacity You know as

you've seen across the country is not as great as

we would like it to be

We have engaged with the state

We have engaged with private labs to expand that capability

as much as we can

But we do continue to follow the guidance of the

CDC and our state public health division that you know

it is not a everybody just goes and requests a

test

There is a process that was criteria to receive that

test which is following up with your health care provider

first discussing your specific symptoms and your healthcare needs and

then letting you and your healthcare provider make that decision

based on the negative flu test on then the persistence

of symptoms to receive that test

We are working very hard with some both public and

private partners to ramp up our testing capabilities for our

vulnerable populations as well as our front line responders and

medical personnel so that we can ensure that we have

the capacity to respond to this a CZ widely as

possible should this continue to grow Can use that

the limitations again

I don't have the specific numbers of tests that we

have on hand but I will say the limitations are

just due to the supply chain what's actually available from

testing supplies to what capacities the labs have Which is

why we have engaged both public and private partners to

help solve this specifically for Wake County

Yeah

No You mentioned local police departments will be enforcing

We'll be taking What was that like forces

So it would depend on the various jurisdictions in terms

of how they want to enforce it

We do have a czar chairman mentioned A consistent approach

accounts across the county s O

In all of these steps you notice all of the

jurisdictions that are represented in Wake County have signed on

to this

And part of that is ensuring that not only from

a restriction standpoint in our proclamation but also from an

enforcement standpoint we are all working together

So from our sheriff's office to Armin useful law enforcement's

through our COC

We are coordinating to ensure from the D A's office

all the way down t the individual law enforcement officers

on the street that we're not using a over the

top methodology

But there is a consistent approach across the county to

ensure that people recognize that this is not to be

restrictive but truly to enforce a CZ much social distancing

as possible and relief if any message can be put

out from this is this is truly to ensure that

we have more opportunities to socially distance ourselves and slow

the spread of this virus

I think if you look back in this community a

better number

Faith makes organisation synagogues that decided on their own to

not have service is to do a virtual service and

so many people are taking it upon themselves to but

here to this guy without any Let's do this

This being the last question game we gotta get back

I will have to get back to you on that

number from our public health division

But we will make sure we get that back

Where over

So the schools that weekend schools made an announcement a

few weeks ago

I'm gonna take you have to follow up with the

school system in terms of what they plan to do

from this point forward

Thank you all very much

We appreciate Just want to get these guys back to

work after business

Thank you folks

Let's take care of ourselves in each other