NC has new COVID-19 alerts for all 100 counties. What do red, orange and yellow mean?
On Nov. 17, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper launched a new county alert system to help curb surges in COVID-19.
By placing the counties in one of three tiers — red, orange and yellow — the state is identifying which counties should be monitored for high numbers of cases, positive coronavirus tests and hospital impact.
But it also is a tool for the state’s 100 counties to see what can be done to slow the spread of the coronavirus, either by enforcing existing regulations or by working with state health leaders to come up with new strategies.
“This county alert system shows our viral hotspots,” Cooper said at a Tuesday news conference. “But let me be clear, the whole state is experiencing widespread transmission. Cases across the country are surging, forcing states to go backward.
“Right now our metrics are increasing, not surging. But a surge can happen quickly.”
As of Nov. 23, there are 20North Carolina counties in the red category — double from when the system was introduced Nov. 17.
The state will reassess each county every month, publishing a new report in the second week. Here’s how the new system works and what you need to know about your county, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
What do the color codes stand for?
Color codes are determined by: case rate, which is the number of new cases in 14 days per 100,000 people; percent positive, which is the percent of COVID-19 tests that are positive over 14 days; and hospital impact, which is based on the number of hospitalizations, how many staffed hospital beds are open, critical staff shortages and COVID-19-related visits to emergency departments over 14 days.
The metrics are used by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
▪ Red means there is critical community spread. Counties have a percent positive rate of 10% or higher, a case rate of 200 and a high impact on county hospitals.
▪ Orange means substantial community spread. They have a percent positive rate of 8% to 10%, 101 to 200 case rate and moderate impact on hospitals.
▪ Yellow means there is significant community spread.
What color is my county?
Here is where North Carolina’s 100 counties are ranked as of Nov. 23. The counties that are bolded are new additions to each tier, compared to Nov. 17:
RED (20): Alamance, Alexander, Avery, Bertie, Catawba, Columbus, Davie, Gaston, Guilford, Hoke, Mitchell, Montgomery, Perquimans, Robeson, Surry, Swain, Vance, Wilkes, Wilson and Yadkin.
ORANGE (42): Ashe, Bladen, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Camden, Caswell, Chatham, Cherokee, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, McDowell, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Sampson*, Scotland, Stokes, Warren
*Sampson County is the only red county to move to orange.
YELLOW (38): Alleghany, Anson, Beaufort, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Carteret, Chatham, Chowan, Clay, Currituck*, Durham, Franklin, Gates, Graham, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford*, Hyde, Jackson*, Lenoir, Macon, Martin, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Person, Polk, Stanly, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Union, Wake, Washington, Watauga, Wayne and Yancey.
*Currituck, Hertford and Jackson moved from orange to yellow.
You can track your county’s data on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus website: covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.
Where do counties in the Triangle stand?
Wake, Durham, Orange, Franklin and Harnett counties are yellow. Johnston and Franklin counties are orange, as of Nov. 23.
If I’m in a red or orange county, what do I need to do?
There are several recommendations for individuals, public officials and businesses to work to change their county’s metrics, in addition to the 3 W’s: wear a mask, wait 6 feet and wash your hands.
Individuals should limit their interactions with others, except for activities like going to work, school, grocery stores, caring for others and medical reasons.
People in red and orange counties should also get take out or sit outside if they go to restaurants, and they should avoid crowded settings like bars. You should also reduce the people you see outside of your own household.
Businesses are encouraged to use teleworking if possible for employees and cancel non-essential travel. Religious and community leaders are urged not to hold indoor meetings and events that exceed state limits.
Who will make rules for my county?
It will be up to the mayor, city council, county commissioners, business leaders, faith leaders and community leaders to instill restrictions and enforce existing rules if needed in their counties.
The state is asking public officials in red and orange counties to consider expanding free COVID-19 testing, pass ordinances to create civil penalties for statewide order violations, increase enforcement of gathering size and setting the alcohol curfew earlier than the statewide rule of 11 p.m.
Municipal leaders can also adopt ordinances with additional restrictions for businesses that work with the public.
Is this a state law?
No, for now, it’s just a tool used to educate and guide decisions. Cooper said he wants state and local leaders to work together to curb surges in specific counties. The state can provide some extra help to counties that need it. But if numbers get worse, the governor could issue an executive order mandating some new restrictions.
“We think that a renewed effort here to focus on enforcement, to focus on what is already in the law with occupancy limits, with mask wearing, with gatherings ... We believe that that’s going to work better right now to try to curb the numbers than just simply adding another layer,” Cooper said.
“But if we continue to see the numbers increase, we may have to do a combination of both of these things. So this is a good point today to renew our efforts to make sure that we’re enforcing what we have out there and to get more community buy-in.”
What phase is North Carolina in again?
North Carolina is still under Phase 3 statewide through at least Dec. 11. (Gov. Cooper extended it from Dec. 4.) Most restrictions that have been in place since Oct. 2 remain. But as of Nov. 10, any type of social gathering with people outside your household is limited to 10 people or fewer indoors and 50 or fewer outdoors. There is also a statewide mask mandate.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 6:43 PM with the headline "NC has new COVID-19 alerts for all 100 counties. What do red, orange and yellow mean?."
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