Mecklenburg declares state of emergency over coronavirus; city plans no-contact meetings
Mecklenburg County declared a state of emergency Sunday after two more residents tested “presumptively positive for COVID-19,” health officials said in a news statement.
That brings the number of Mecklenburg County residents with COVID-19 — the illness caused by the new strain of coronavirus — up to four and the statewide total as of Sunday afternoon up to 32. Across North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper has ordered schools to close, large gatherings to stop and he’s urged businesses to allow maximum flexibility for employees to work from home or take sick leave.
Elected officials are taking precautions, too. Charlotte City Council has a plan to hold public meetings in a different room from audience members, the Observer has learned. Those members of the public in attendance will be required to sit 6 feet apart, which will limit the number of people allowed in the chamber. City officials did not respond to a question Sunday asking when the new protocol would go in effect.
Both people in Sunday’s new local cases are being isolated at home and their family members are being quarantined, county public health Director Gibbie Harris said in a statement. Officials said the county is still investigating if the two new cases are related to travel.
The news follows the announcement Saturday of the county’s second case. In that case, the person had recently traveled from the United Kingdom, health officials said. That person is also self-isolating at home.
Sunday’s state of emergency declaration is key to getting state and federal funding help to fight the pandemic, Mecklenburg officials said. State and local health officials have said they need more test supplies to gauge the spread of the virus and detect new cases. Harris did not say what extra funding would help cover.
Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners Chairman George Dunlap and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles signed the state of emergency declaration this weekend, along with the mayors of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville, the county said in a statement.
Neighboring Gaston County declared a state of emergency Sunday, too. In doing so, county leaders said they’ll ban public events or gatherings greater than 50 people. Gaston County had no reported positive test cases as of Sunday afternoon.
Update on NC cases
North Carolina’s first case was announced March 3. A Wake County man reportedly was exposed at a long-term care facility in Kirkland, Washington.
As of Sunday, North Carolina had 32 reported cases of positive COVID-19 tests, with no fatalities, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Cooper declared a state of emergency in North Carolina on Tuesday. The declaration allows N.C. to access federal emergency funding and protects consumers from price gouging, according to Cooper’s office.
President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency on Friday.
Mecklenburg County cases
All four people found to have COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County have been self-isolating at home, officials have said.
“I would emphasize that at this point in time we do not have any evidence that community spread is occurring here,” Harris, the health director, said in a statement Saturday.
Health experts are wary of “community spread,” which is when — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — an illness spreads from person-to-person in an area and physicians are not able to pinpoint the origin of an individual’s infection.
What is a state of emergency?
Local states of emergency have been issued in the past in Mecklenburg County. In 2016, a wildfire that started in western North Carolina prompted a state of emergency for Mecklenburg and 46 other counties. Then, the N.C. Forest Service issued a burning ban in those counties, the Observer reported at the time.
A state of emergency was also declared in Charlotte by Gov. Pat McCrory in 2016 after the police shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott was followed by protests, the Observer reported.
And Cooper declared a state of emergency in North Carolina in 2018 in the lead up to Hurricane Florence’s landfall in North Carolina, the (Raleigh) News & Observer reported.
While circumstances of the emergency declarations have varied, the decision triggers governmental aid in similar ways and permits government officials to issue restrictions on activity.
“Though ‘State of Emergency’ may sound ominous, the impact it has on citizens is anything but threatening,” according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. DPS says state law permits local and state officials to declare an emergency “during a situation or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property, resulting from a natural or man-made cause.”
Similar to Cooper’s order that schools temporarily shut down, local authorities have the power to enact bans and issue restrictions, according to DPS.
“For example, local and/or state authorities may restrict the sale of alcohol, impose curfews or limit where people may travel and gather. Other restrictions may include limiting the transportation and possession of dangerous weapons, controlling the comings and goings from an emergency area or ordering evacuations,” DPS guidance states.
COVID-19 testing in Charlotte
Harris has said the county has an extremely limited ability to test for COVID-19.
“We really do not have the information we need to say what the total extent of the issue is in Mecklenburg County right now,” Harris said Friday.
Testing in North Carolina is restricted to people with symptoms and who have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. A rapid flu test will be administered first, officials have said.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. Anyone with symptoms should call their doctor or the health department before visiting in-person.
Mecklenburg County’s coronavirus hotline is 980-314-9400.
Burlington-based LabCorp has been performing COVID-19 tests since March 5. A company spokesperson said the private diagnostics company has the ability to perform “several thousands tests per day.” The company did not say how many tests have been performed already.
Charlotte City Council meetings
The Charlotte City Council plans to change protocol for its upcoming public meetings in response to the state of emergency, according to an email sent to Mecklenburg County Commissioners Friday and obtained by the Observer.
City Council members will still meet — but will sit in a different room on different floor than members of the public attending the meeting, the email states. The plan is for council members to sit “at a long table by themselves ensuring lots of space between them,” according to the email, sent by Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio.
A city of Charlotte spokesman was not immediately available for comment. A City Council meeting is planned for Monday night. Diorio’s email says county commissioners should consider also changing the way public meetings are held.
All City Council members, as well as a range of other government meetings, are streamed live on the city’s website and Facebook page.
Diorio’s email Sunday indicates there will be seating inside the meeting chamber for 45 people, which includes city workers in attendance.
At least one other North Carolina city has moved to cancel upcoming government meetings. Durham City Council members will not meet this week, officials say.
In Kannapolis, officials announced Friday: “The March and April City Council, Planning Board and Board of Adjustment meetings will continue as planned but social distancing guidelines will be followed.”
Airlines, companies react
Businesses, airports and schools have already been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
American Airlines, the dominant carrier at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, announced Sunday it would cut international flight capacity by 75% from March 16 to May 6, compared to the year before. Those cuts include suspending the route between London Heathrow Airport and CLT.
Major Charlotte employers, including Wells Fargo, have told many employees to work from home.
And grocers Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans announced reduced hours in wake of the coronavirus spread.
Matthews-based Harris Teeter will begin closing stores early at 9 p.m., reopening as normal in the morning. The reduced hours will give stores time to restock and clean, a corporate spokesperson said.
Charlotte Water and Duke Energy have said they would not disconnect services for missing payments during the coronavirus pandemic.
School changes
Amid statewide school shut-downs, at least one local business has stepped up to help support students.
The Loyalist Market in Matthews posted on Facebook Saturday it would give a free grilled cheese, ham sandwich or turkey sandwich to kids receiving free lunches in the NC school system until March 30th.
The governor’s Saturday announcement ordered all K-12 schools in the state to close for at least two weeks.
More than 40% of students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools qualify for free or subsidized meals. Superintendent Earnest Winston told the Observer the district has plans to continue providing meals, but did not give details.
The governor’s order will not affect teacher paychecks during the next two weeks, Cooper said.
This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 1:03 PM.
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