Mecklenburg can’t extend stay-at-home order, but COVID-19 cases are still on the rise

Mecklenburg likely does not have the support to extend its local stay-at-home proclamation beyond April 29, County Manager Dena Diorio said Wednesday night.

Local leaders had already extended their emergency declaration — intended to span three weeks and expire in mid-April — to align with the time frame of Gov. Roy Cooper’s statewide stay-at-home order.

The governor is expected to announce changes to his executive order Thursday, Diorio said, which could directly affect regional policy decisions.

“We are not completely clear that we can get consensus among the county, the city and the six towns to extend our order locally,” Diorio said. “I think it’s fairly mixed. I think there are some town mayors that are interested in not extending the order.”

The county itself does not have the legal authority “to unilaterally impose its emergency restrictions or prohibitions” within other municipalities or jurisdictions, The Charlotte Observer reported earlier Wednesday.

Put simply, those county-wide emergency orders require the support — and signatures —from the mayors of Charlotte and the surrounding six towns. And in Huntersville, officials say they are ready to begin reopening the economy.

County Commissioner Trevor Fuller said the towns should not have that type of authority during a pandemic, noting only Mecklenburg is responsible for managing the public-health response.

“I think this is a hole that we’ve got to fill,” Fuller said. “We’ve got to correct this — it doesn’t make any sense for municipalities to have veto (power) on a public-health order.”

Fuller described it as “reckless” and “irresponsible” for Mecklenburg to lift its stay-at-home order if the county is not ready for looser restrictions.

Mecklenburg County has the most coronavirus cases in the state, with 1,331 people testing positive for COVID-19. There have been 35 deaths as of Wednesday night — with eight occurring in nursing homes.

Confirmed coronavirus cases among county residents rose by 76 on Wednesday — “one of our highest (increases) that we’ve seen so far,” Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said.

Mecklenburg has yet to hit peak

Harris said a stay-at-home order is crucial as the county anticipates an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the coming weeks.

“It is probably not a best public-health practice to look at widely opening up again in our community,” Harris told county commissioners Wednesday. “We still need social distancing, and we need our stay-at-home order.”

A two-week extension of the order, Harris said, could give Mecklenburg more flexibility to expand coronavirus testing and contact tracing. That extra time could also give officials more flexibility to navigate looser restrictions allowing businesses to reopen, Diorio said.

The region is not expected to reach its coronavirus peak until late June, when local hospital systems could be overwhelmed to provide critical care, Mecklenburg officials said this week.

Harris had initially predicted the region could see a surge in cases between mid-April and mid-May. But that was before residents began to “flatten the curve” amid social distancing rules, Harris said.

“It doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods by flattening the curve,” Deputy Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington said Wednesday. “It just means we’re looking at a better situation than had we taken no action at all.”

Last week, officials had revised the COVID-19 peak to June 8, reflecting the impact of Mecklenburg’s local stay-at-home order. That peak could continue to be pushed back into July or later, Washington said.

Business roundtable

Elaine Powell, the vice chair of the Mecklenburg County commissioners, said it is “despicable” for people to politicize stay-at-home decisions.

“It’s beyond disturbing,” Powell said. “Our number one priority is public health and safety, but we understand the importance of the economy... I will be advocating for the safe return of small businesses. I just want us to do it the right way.”

The county unveiled its COVID-19 Business Leaders Roundtable on Wednesday, which Diorio said will gauge what a “soft opening of our economy looks like.”

A range of industries are represented, such financial services, healthcare, retail, hospitality and sports. The roundtable will hold its first meeting on Monday, Diorio said. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, EY, Tepper Sports & Entertainment, Novant Health and Atrium Health are among the major companies involved.

Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said residents are suffering financial blows during the pandemic, which are exacerbated by failures at the federal level.

“We really have to balance the fact that every week, every day, every hour is critical for people who need to work,” she said.

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 9:14 PM.