NC towns are forcing families to choose a designated shopper as coronavirus spreads
A statewide order seeking to slow the spread of the coronavirus already requires residents stay home except for trips to “essential” businesses like grocery stores.
Now one community is taking it a step further.
Officials in Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro — two towns that sit on either side of the Yadkin River in North Carolina’s foothills — announced Wednesday that only one person from each family will be allowed to enter stores. Their kids must also stay behind.
“These latest measures are being put into place to limit the opportunities for transmission of the virus in public spaces where spread could occur, and to prevent additional cases being introduced from outside the region,” officials said in a news release.
On Monday, Wilkes County announced its first case of COVID-19, a 60-year-old woman with underlying health conditions, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.
The towns’ decision to heighten restrictions arrived on the heels of her death on Wednesday.
More than 1,900 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the virus, and at least 17 have died as of April 2.
Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro declared a state of emergency on March 13. Town officials have “strengthened” the order three times since then.
On March 19, officials put limits on mass gatherings and removed an earlier exemption for churches. They closed recreation amenities like playgrounds and tennis courts on March 25.
“We’re just trying to be proactive and get out in front of this,” Wilkesboro Mayor Mike Inscore said at the time.
The latest restrictions go beyond what most towns and cities across the state have enacted.
According to Wednesday’s release, only one person per family — and no children — should enter stores. A child can be brought only if there is no “person of suitable age available to supervise the child elsewhere,” officials said.
Patrons must practice social distancing in the stores and parking lots by following any sign or directions posted. They also shouldn’t put items on the conveyor belt at the checkout counter until the person in front of them is finished, according to the order.
Officials additionally barred hotels and “short-term lodging establishments” from renting to visitors from out of town. But they issued an exemption for guests already staying and “guests with an established pattern of visitation.”
“Town leaders consulted with leaders from the local hospitality industry prior to implementing this measure,” officials said in the news release.
The state of emergency will remain in effect until April 30.
