Beaufort County Emergency Management: COVID-19 Update (5-17-20) | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

5/17/2020 Beaufort County, NC COVID-19 SITREP The following information is as of 5pm Updates from our previous posting have been highlighted.
    Case Statistics

• NC has total 18,622 confirmed cases, across 99 counties, with 684 deaths. Our state currently has 9,507 active cases and 493 hospitalizations.
• Beaufort County has had a total of 27 cases, with 6 currently active. Seven (7) of our positive cases, including our most recent positive, were asymptomatic. (Meaning they experienced no symptoms.) Contact tracing of these known cases have concluded:
  • (10) case was contributed to direct contact with a known patient from another county.
  • (2) cases were related to travel to a known outbreak area.
  • (16) cases are attributed to community spread.
  • (1) case is still under investigation.
• All active cases are self-isolating.
• Eastern NC counties with total confirmed cases include: Bertie, (87), Beaufort (30), Bladen (71), Brunswick (55), Carteret (36), Camden (2), Chowan (14), Columbus (238), Craven (94), Currituck (11), Dare (21), Duplin (388), Edgecombe (170), Gates (14), Greene (45), Halifax (107), Hertford (52), Hyde (1), Jones (21), Lenoir (153), Martin (35), New Hanover (127), North Hampton (129), Onslow (71), Pamlico (8), Pasquotank (88), Pender (45), Perquimans (23), Pitt (207) Sampson (244), Tyrrell (4), Washington (26), Wayne (832) and Wilson (238). Mecklenburg (2,591), Wake (1,212), and Durham (986) counties have the most cases.

Please Remember and Practice "The 3 Ws"
Wear Face Coverings Wait 6' Apart Wash Your Hands Often

Beaufort County Reopening Public Facing Areas Beginning

Monday, May 18, 2020 at 8:00 AM

    May 14, 2020 — Beginning Monday, May 18, 2020 at 8:00 AM, Beaufort County will reopen public facing areas for customers. Modifications have been made to public areas to help keep the public and County staff safe during transactions. Modifications include: Glass or plexiglass barriers, social distancing floor markings and customer line designations that help maintain social distancing. Hand sanitizing stations will also be provided. Customers are encouraged to continue to use the drive-up window at the Financial Services Building or the Tax Office drop box to pay bills and to continue to use telephone or electronic means of communication if possible. If you decide to come in buildings, please respect the social distancing measures and follow the State of North Carolina's 3W plan: Wear a cloth face covering; Wait 6 feet apart; Wash hands often or use hand sanitizer.

    Exception: Due to staff shortages, the Animal Shelter will continue to make appointments for visitors so normal safety measures with animal visits can be maintained.

    Please stay safe and look out for each other as we continue to deal with the impacts of the COVID- 19 pandemic.

    A Message from Beaufort County's Health Department


    Re-Opening Timeline / Guidelines

    Below is a summary of our states plan for a phased reopening. Please note that these timelines / guidelines are subject to change based on case trends and / or additional executive orders.

    Phase I (Will begin at 5pm Friday May 8th, 2020 and continue for 2 weeks (May 22, 2020) or 3 weeks (May 30, 2020)

    Modified Stay-at-Home order. Opening of Bookstores, Clothing Stores, Sporting Goods Stores, Housewares Stores & other Retailers with social distancing, enhanced hygiene & cleaning protocols, symptom screening of employees, accommodations for vulnerable workers, and provide education to employees and workers to combat misinformation.

    Phase 1 Requirements

    Businesses planning to open Friday must adhere to the following requirements outlined in Executive Order 138

    Occupancy

• Customer Capacity cannot exceed 50% of stated fire capacity OR 12 customers for every 1,000 sq. ft of total square footage.
• Local governments cannot set different occupancy requirements.
• Must display "Emergency Maximum Occupancy" signage.

    Distancing

• Must display signage directing people to stay 6' apart.
• Must have six-foot markings at point-of-sale and high traffic areas.

    Sanitation

• Perform frequent and routine environmental cleaning and disinfection of counters, pin-pads and other high-touch areas with an EPA approved disinfectant for SARS-CoV-2

    Health Screening

• Conduct daily symptom screening of workers
• Immediately send symptomatic workers home

    Phase 1 Recommendations

    Executive Order 138 recommends the following for businesses that plan to open:

• Direct workers to stay at least 6' apart from on another and from customers to the greatest extent possible.
• Provide designated times for seniors and other high-risk populations to access services.
• Develop and use systems that allow for online, email or telephone ordering, and provide for no-contact curbside pick-up, drive-through or home delivery.
• High volume retail businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies are strongly encouraged to:
  • Use acrylic / plastic shields at point of sale
  • Clearly mark entry / exit points
• Continue to promote telework and limit non-essential travel.
• Promote social distancing by reducing the number of people coming into the office, by providing 6' of distancing between desks, and by staggering shifts.
• Limit face to face meetings to less than 10 mins.
• Promote frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.
• Recommend that workers wear cloth face coverings.
• Encourage sick workers to stay home.

    Answers to other frequently asked questions about Phase I can be found using the following link:

    https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/FAQs-for-Phase-1-EO-FINAL.pdf

    Additional Business / Employer Guidance can also be found by using the following link.

    https://co.beaufort.nc.us/departments/human-services/public-health/2019-coronavirus-covid-19/beaufort-county-resources/business-employer-guidance

    Phase II (Could begin between May 23, 2020 and May 31, 2020, and continue through June 20, 2020 — July 11, 2020)

    Lift the Stay-at-Home order. Restaurants, Bars, Fitness Centers, Personal Care Services must follow safety protocols including the potential need to reduce capacity

    Houses of Worship & Entertainment Venues at reduced capacity.

    Increase number of people allowed at gatherings

    Recommend face coverings in public spaces when 6 ft of distancing isn't possible.

    Phase III (Could begin June 21, 2020 and July 12, 2020.)

    Increased capacity at Restaurants, Bars, Other Businesses, Houses of Worship & Entertainment Venues.

    Further increase the number of people allowed at gatherings.