Coronavirus claims first two deaths in NC, both in Cabarrus County

The coronavirus claimed its first two deaths in North Carolina, health authorities said Wednesday, and the infectious disease it causes reached one of the state’s top elected officials.

A Cabarrus County resident in his 70s died of complications of coronavirus on Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said. The patient, who was not identified, had several underlying medical conditions.

A second patient, from Virginia, also died in Cabarrus County while traveling, officials said.

Roanoke, Va.’s WDBJ reported that Landon Spradlin, a 66-year-old minister who had pastored in Gretna, Va., died Wednesday morning at a Concord hospital. Spradlin had been admitted on March 17, family members told the station, and had suffered from bronchitis and asthma.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones. This is a stark warning that for some people COVID-19 is a serious illness. All of us must do our part to stop the spread by staying at home as much as possible and practicing social distancing,” Cooper said in a statement.

Cabarrus County and five municipalities announced a stay-at-home order Wednesday that restricts non-essential travel, as Mecklenburg County and other N.C. communities have done, and banned gatherings of more than 10 people. Cabarrus had 18 reported coronavirus cases Wednesday, including the two victims who died, up from 12 cases on Tuesday.

State treasurer Dale Folwell announced Wednesday that he too had tested positive for the coronavirus after returning to Raleigh after a trip with his son. His office didn’t say where he had traveled.

Folwell said he was tested after a cough worsened and got the results Tuesday night. He’s now in quarantine.

Statewide cases grew to 504 by Wednesday morning, an increase of 106 cases from the previous day, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported. Mecklenburg County reported 170 positive cases Wednesday, up from 142 on Tuesday.

But those numbers are an “imperfect way” of telling the complete story of how widespread the disease is in North Carolina, the state’s epidemiologist said.

“The case counts that we get are not a great marker for how fast this is accelerating or what the true burden of COVID-19 is out there in the community,” Zack Moore said in an interview. “That’s true not just here in North Carolina, but everywhere.”

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles sought to reassure city residents Wednesday about the economic blows dealt by the pandemic. A Mecklenburg County stay-at-home order takes effect Thursday, following earlier state-ordered closures of restaurants and bars.

But Lyles, who has remained largely out of the public eye so far in the outbreak, stopped short of explaining the city’s specific plans to help small businesses that have been forced to close.

Local funding and support, Lyles said in a press briefing, will supplement the federal stimulus package being negotiated in Washington, D.C. City officials are exploring a range of options to alleviate financial pressures on individuals, she said, including reducing property taxes.

“Everything is on the table,” Lyles said, noting that the hospitality sector is taking a “large brunt” of the immediate economic impact caused by the coronavirus.

Transit cutbacks and staying at home

Daily life in Charlotte, already transformed as workers stay home and traffic flows freely, will start seeing more systemic limitations Wednesday as coronavirus infections keep growing.

Bus and light rail passengers started waiting longer for rides Wednesday as reduced schedules took effect because of the coronavirus outbreak. At 8 a.m. Thursday, a countywide stay-at-home order will go into effect for three weeks.

While Cooper has not issued a similar order statewide, he told reporters Wednesday that further action to protect the state will be necessary.

“We want people to stay home,” he said when asked about a statewide order. “Local communities are doing what they think is right, and I understand that. It’s important for us to make sure we’re deliberate and get this right.… We will be issuing additional orders soon.”

The Mecklenburg County order is intended, in part, to head off a surge of cases that could swamp hospitals. Durham and Buncombe County issued similar orders Wednesday, and Wake County was expected to.

Mecklenburg’s emergency management office announced the order Tuesday after health officials said too many residents were ignoring pleas to limit social contacts. The county is also seeing community spread, in which patients have no clear source of their infections.

“It is critically important that our residents understand that all efforts should be made to comply with this order” Gibbie Harris, the county’s public health director, said in a statement Wednesday.

The chief executives of Charlotte’s largest hospital systems, Atrium Health and Novant Health, requested the stay-at-home order. County officials said that, as of Tuesday, about one in five diagnosed patients in Mecklenburg had been hospitalized. On Monday, only one of eight were in hospitals.

Gatherings of more than 10 people are banned under the order, tightening a previous limit of 50 individuals. Businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies will stay open, and the order allows “leaving the home for essential activities” that include seeking medical help or caring for a loved one.

But travel will be restricted and keep workers home unless their jobs provide “essential services.” Daycare facilities, funeral homes, homeless shelters, news organizations, gas stations, banks, post offices, hardware stores and hotels are among those on the “essential” list.

“The higher level of compliance we get with this proclamation, the shorter it will be,” county manager Dena Diorio said Tuesday.

Charlotte Area Transit System fares will be free, but schedules altered, starting Wednesday for an unknown period. Blue Line ridership dropped 58% in the first two weeks of March as infections spread.

Blue Line light rail trains will run every 20 minutes instead of every 7.5 minutes, and every 30 minutes late at night.

Local buses will run on a Saturday schedule every day except Sunday, which will keep its current schedule. Express buses will have sharply limited service, and routes 41X, 61X, 65X, 88X won’t run. The 42 Carowinds and 50 URP/CIC Shuttle will have reduced schedules.

Staff writer Alison Kuznitz contributed.

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 11:37 AM.