COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg could be 10 times higher than reported, officials say
There could be as many as 94,000 cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg — up to 10 times the reported case total, county Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said Friday.
That’s based on an estimate from Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who told news outlets Thursday the country’s actual tally of COVID-19 cases may be tenfold higher. Since the start of the pandemic, Mecklenburg officials have cautioned the county’s caseload comprises just a “fraction” of total infections.
“We continue to have COVID-19 spread through our community,” Harris told reporters Friday. “We still have many, many individuals who have not experienced COVID-19. We know it’s out there.”
There were 9,446 confirmed coronavirus cases and 148 deaths among county residents as of Friday evening, officials said. Mecklenburg’s latest news conference came hours before Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest executive order, which requires people to wear masks or cloth face coverings in public, took effect.
There are multiple exceptions for mask wearing under Cooper’s order, such as for children under age 11 and people with certain behavioral or medical conditions.
The governor’s mandate, which also extends Phase Two of reopening, is in place until at least July 17. Mecklenburg County will delay plans to reopen government facilities until at least August in light of the extension of Phase Two, Diorio said.
Enforcement of the mask requirement largely falls on businesses, which will need to ensure employees and customers wear masks and maintain social distance.
“I have not heard from any businesses that have indicated they are leery of enforcing it,” County Manager Dena Diorio told reporters.
The governor’s mask mandate does not require people to wear masks on county properties, including parks, Diorio said. But she said county commissioners will be asked to strengthen that provision during their July 7 meeting.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department won’t be enforcing individual use of face masks, Deputy Chief Jeff Estes said Friday. But the department can cite businesses for not following the mandate. Customers who refuse to wear masks or leave local businesses can be cited for trespassing.
2 million masks
Mecklenburg County will soon distribute 2 million face coverings across the community, Diorio announced.
That includes 1 million masks from the federal government — as well as a donation of 1 million masks from Atrium Health and the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, Diorio said.
“The private sector and the public sector have come together to make sure that everyone in the county has face coverings if they need them,” Diorio said, adding the county will enlist the help of nonprofit organizations, faith groups and small businesses to distribute the masks.
The county has set aside $1 million in federal funding to buy more face coverings, Diorio said.
Michael Thompson, an associate professor of public health sciences at UNC Charlotte, said masks could start to slow the transmission of COVID-19 within the region by next week — and within two weeks, curb the percentage of positive tests.
“Wearing a mask, particularly inside, is going to be very effective in keeping someone who’s asymptomatic from spreading (coronavirus) to other people around them,” Thompson said in an interview Friday. “Creating the expectation — the social obligation — and enforcing that is part of being a good citizen, in helping your neighbors and yourself at the same time.”
County Commissioner Susan Harden told the Observer that masks could prevent Mecklenburg residents from seeing more coronavirus-related restrictions, such as another stay at-home order.
“When you go out and wear your mask, you’re doing the right thing for the greater good,” Harden said in an interview Friday. “This is our attempt to bring the outbreak back under control.”
Mecklenburg next week is launching a public-awareness campaign focused on the “3 Ws” of wear, wait and wash to slow the spread of COVID-19, Dioro said. The 12-week multilingual marketing blitz — featuring a mix of traditional and grassroots advertising — is tailored for people disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, Diorio said.
Hospitalizations and social distancing
Fewer people are staying home as the state has relaxed coronavirus restrictions, county officials say. Social distancing, based on mobility data, has nearly approached baseline levels in March before the county’s stay-at-home order.
Almost all county deaths have been among adults age 60 and older, though 16 deaths involved people between the ages of 40 and 59, officials said. Nearly two out of three deaths were linked to outbreaks at long-term care facilities.
Mecklenburg officials for the first time on Friday released coronavirus trends that reflected testing from CVS Health — in addition to Atrium Health and Novant Health, whose test results have been incorporated into reports throughout the pandemic.
One crucial coronavirus trend, the percentage of tests that come back positive for COVID-19, saw a “very, very slight decrease” in the past 14 days, Harris said. Hospitalizations in the region’s acute care facilities continue to climb, though.
Atrium and Novant still have “good” capacity to care for coronavirus patients, Harris said Friday. And doctors are seeing “significant luck” treating patients — without a sharp demand for ventilators.
“Both hospitals are still in green status,” Harris said. “Right now, they’re able to meet the demand, and that’s where we want to keep it.”
Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, county officials urge Mecklenburg residents to continue wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Harris said residents still need to follow statewide rules limiting gathering sizes. The governor’s Phase Two order limits outdoor gatherings to 25 people or fewer and indoor gatherings to 10 people or fewer.
“I think we can anticipate that people are going to be celebrating this July Fourth weekend, and are going to be looking for opportunities to be with the people that they care about and that they have fun with,” Harris said. “And we want them to do that. We just want them to be safe and be smart about it.”
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 5:22 PM.
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