Some Mecklenburg County commissioners push for strict ‘stay at home’ order

With the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rapidly rising, some elected officials are calling for Mecklenburg County to join a growing list of states who have ordered residents to stay home and limit nonessential outings.

Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners Chair George Dunlap told the Observer that officials likely will discuss the issue during a special meeting Tuesday.

County commissioners Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, Susan Harden and Mark Jerrell said that more sweeping changes are necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new strain of coronavirus.

“We are in the calm before the storm,” Harden said. “We will not be immune from death in this community.”

Mecklenburg has outlawed gatherings of 50 or more people and forced gyms, health clubs, movie theaters and other businesses to temporarily close.

But states like Ohio, California, Connecticut and others have gone further by issuing “stay at home” orders that prohibit nonessential travel, force many residents to work from home and close all nonessential businesses. In most cases, people are still allowed people to leave home to get food, go to the doctor and exercise or walk their dogs.

Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and other vital businesses are usually allowed to continue to operate.

Mecklenburg officials had considered a stay home order before the county released data Sunday that showed confirmed cases of COVID-19 in almost every zip code in Mecklenburg. There were 97 coronavirus cases identified in Mecklenburg as of Monday morning compared to four about a week earlier.

Dunlap said he and other officials favored waiting to see if North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper would issue a statewide stay home order.

“What if Mecklenburg County does it and nobody else does,” Dunlap said. “You still have people from other places coming in and out of Mecklenburg.”

But Mecklenburg County needs to act immediately to slow new infections and possibly save lives, said Dr. Robert Barr, a Charlotte radiologist and vice chair of Novant Health Board of Trustees.

Some countries have successfully tried to reduce the number of people contracting the virus by taking extreme steps to keep people apart, Barr said. In other places such as New York City, he said, the number of cases is growing in part because leaders waited too long before ordering residents to stay inside.

COVID-19 is dangerous because people can contract the virus and spread it to others before showing any symptoms, Barr said.

“This is a public health emergency,” Barr said. “The wait-and-see approach will be too late.”

Divided opinion

Some Mecklenburg County officials are divided over how to respond to the coronavirus.

At times, Harden, Jerrell and Rodriguez-McDowell have questioned whether leaders should have taken more aggressive steps.

The nine county commissioners are all Democrats.

Jerrell said he successfully lobbied for officials to reschedule Tuesday’s meeting after it had been cancelled, saying “I think we should be meeting as much as possible.”

Some other commissioners were pleased the meeting had been cancelled since they felt they had received adequate information about COVID-19 and had concerns about the risk of commissioners and staffers contracting the virus by meeting in-person, Commissioner Pat Cotham said.

There is also disagreement about whether to wait for Cooper to decide whether to issue a stay home order.

North Carolina law does not specifically address whether local governments can unilaterally impose such “shelter in place” rules, said Norma Houston, an expert in emergency management law with the UNC School of Government.

But if local leaders establish a process through an ordinance and provide a “reasonable” justification, the law allows them to close businesses, block roads, limit the size of gatherings and take other steps “that achieve the same effect,” Houston said.

Harden said such measures may be needed because some residents still are not practicing social distancing. She said she recently witnessed people crowding together in a driveway in her south Charlotte neighborhood for a party despite warnings about how COVID-19 spreads.

Mecklenburg is North Carolina’s most urban and densely-populated county, potentially making residents more susceptible to communicable diseases, Harden said.

Rodriguez-McDowell said a stay at home order likely would grant police the authority to issue citations if residents do not comply. Authorities are seeking voluntary compliance under the current rules, she said.

“It’s the only way to stop the spread,” Rodriguez-McDowell said.

Cotham said she doesn’t believe commissioners have enough information to make such a bold move unilaterally.

She said Mecklenburg should let the governor decide if that is necessary.

“I’m going to trust our governor,” Cotham said. “This is where trust in government comes in.”

Commissioner Elaine Powell, who represents northern Mecklenburg County, said her constituents appear divided over the issue.

“I’m getting a mixed message,” Powell said. “Some people are saying it’s their decision and don’t even think about” restricting their freedom, Powell said. “Some people are saying why isn’t this already in place.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 9:22 AM.