Mecklenburg County field hospital would be built at convention center, officials say

The Charlotte Convention Center will be the “preferred” site of a field hospital to accommodate a surge in coronavirus cases if one is needed, Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio announced Tuesday.

Construction has not started yet, but it would take three weeks, Diorio told the county commissioners during their virtual meeting Tuesday. Atrium Health and Novant Health are still analyzing their capacity to treat infected patients within their existing facilities — and deciding on the plan for a possible field hospital, Diorio said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency would pay for construction of the field hospital, with Atrium and Novant covering any other funding. The hospital systems would be able to apply for federal and state reimbursement, Diorio said.

“If it will be used, it will be used for non-acute patients,” Diorio said, emphasizing Mecklenburg taxpayers will not need to support the healthcare effort. She didn’t specify which other sites in or near uptown are still being considered.

Diorio said Mecklenburg officials never intended to use taxpayer money to cover personal protective equipment and other expenses tied to the field hospital.

But last week when the 600-bed hospital was announced, Diorio said any county funds spent on the field hospital would be eligible for federal reimbursement.

Earlier this month, the hospital systems asked the county to erect a 3,000-bed field hospital at UNC Charlotte to accommodate a surge in severe coronavirus cases.

But Atrium and Novant drastically scaled back their surge request days later — after Mecklenburg learned that FEMA would not provide up-front funding for the makeshift hospital. The abandoned plan would have cost $70 million, the Observer reported.

Both hospital systems expanded capacity within their own facilities, revising their needs — and modeling of COVID-19 cases — to a 600-bed field hospital in or near uptown.

At least 993 county residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said. An additional resident died of COVID-19, bring the county’s total fatalities to 16, Harris said.

“We’re seeing some progress toward flattening the curve, but we must continue physical and social distancing if we are to maintain flattening of the curve,” Harris told the county commissioners Tuesday.

Mecklenburg’s stay-at-home order, originally intended to end on April 16, will remain in effect through the end of the month, Diorio announced last week. Diorio said the county would follow Gov. Roy Cooper’s lead on extending statewide restrictions into May or longer.

Harris warned that if the stay-at-home order is lifted by the end of April, there would be a significant spike in coronavirus cases — and the hospitals would have a “hard time dealing” with the surge.

“I know this is a really hard message for people, but if they can stay home, stay off the road and stay home, we’re all going to be better off in the long run,” Harris said.

County Commissioner Trevor Fuller was dubious that life in Mecklenburg County would return to normal by April 29.

“Does anybody really believe that’s the last extension there’s going to be?” Fuller asked, with several commissioners quickly replying “no.”

In a virtual press briefing Tuesday evening, Diorio said some components of the stay-at-home order will likely be loosened as Mecklenburg continues to flatten the curve into June. But she said officials have not yet discussed what a “slowed, measured” approach would entail.

Harris said more widespread coronavirus testing is needed to lift restrictions, though Mecklenburg is still limited in its capacity to screen only the most severe cases.

Contact tracing could also offer insight into Mecklenburg’s trajectory of cases, Harris said. Public Health employees are continuing to pursue “significant” contact tracing, Harris said — but she acknowledged last week that the strategy was already straining staff resources.

Peak expected in June

More than half of reported cases have been released from isolation. The county public health department expects patients will overwhelm the county health care system in early to mid-May, even with increased social distancing, Harris said.

The county is seeing 40% to 50% social distancing, putting the peak demand for hospital beds on June 8, Harris said. The county expects to need 2,579 hospital beds on June 8, she said.

The county has 255 ICU beds available, Harris said. But with a peak on June 8, the county predicts 1,143 ICU beds would be needed.

And the county expects to see a peak in daily demand for ventilators on June 8 with a demand of 574. The county currently has 243 available ventilators, Harris said.

Passing the peak won’t mean the COVID-19 outbreak is over, Harris said.

“People think that when it peaks it’s over, but there’s still the other side of the slope,” she said. “… Unfortunately that means this will not end quickly. How long this drags out is depending on how well we mange our stay at home order.”

Four Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department employees, including three police officers, have tested positive for COVID-19, and 20 to 30 CMPD employees have been quarantined at some point, deputy chief Jeff Estes said Tuesday.

George Dunlap, chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners, told Harris he wants a “definitive recommendation” on wearing masks.

Harris has not yet ordered residents to wear cloth or surgical masks when they leave their homes. But she said people who choose to wear masks must wash them in hot water and let them dry to avoid possible COVID-19 exposure.

“The guidance on masks has been variable,” Harris said. “We are not in a position to be able to provide (sufficient) masks to the public.”

Health disparities

Among the 12 deaths recorded through Sunday, officials said all the individuals were age 60 or older with underlying health conditions. Half of those deaths involved non-Hispanic blacks, underscoring the coronavirus’s disproportionate impact within Mecklenburg’s marginalized communities.

Harris said she attributes that to black residents living in denser areas and being more susceptible to chronic illness.

“As we are focusing our testing on those individuals who are most at risk and exhibiting symptoms, we are likely to seek more people in the African African community,” Harris said.

Harris says the county will enhance outreach efforts to marginalized communities, using pastors, neighborhood leaders and other influencers. That includes creating a “tool kit” that will incorporate frequently asked questions, social media graphics and fliers.

County Commissioner Mark Jerrell requested that Mecklenburg outline mental health resources in the tool kits.

“The longer this goes on, the more of an issue this will be,” Harris said on mental wellness concerns. “The financial toll, as well as the emotion toll (is) very difficult to deal with right now.”

County officials said in March they had leased hotels to house people who are homeless and reduce crowding in shelters. Diorio said Tuesday the county is looking into increasing that hotel capacity.

Atrium Health and Novant Health each launched mobile testing units this week in efforts to combat the disparity and expand testing among minority groups. Harris said the county still doesn’t have ability to test all residents for COVID-19.

Beyond the broad demographic details, local officials have released scant information on deceased patients, including the specifics of their chronic illnesses, how long they were infected with COVID-19 or where they lived in Mecklenburg. Open-government advocates say releasing more information would not violate patient privacy law, The Charlotte Observer reported.

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 3:15 PM.