North Carolina Coronavirus Updates — June 5, 2020 | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:


    Governor Cooper signed Executive Order No. 143 to help address the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 is having on communities of color. The Order creates the Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force. Named after Andrea Harris, a champion for social, economic, and racial equity, the task force is directed to address systematic disparities in North Carolina.

    “I’m proud to have signed Executive Order No. 143 to address disparities in communities of color that are being highlighted and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus is exploiting those inequalities and it’s up to us to do something about it,” said Governor Cooper.

    The task force, composed of healthcare, economic opportunity, environmental justice, state agency and community leaders, will work to address and eliminate inequities in distribution of pandemic relief funds and provide small, historically underutilized businesses with equitable access to compete for State contracts.

    Additionally, the Order directs various state agencies to ensure access to COVID-19 testing and related health care, increase awareness about the virus and relief services, and more. The Order also directs state agencies to include environmental justice considerations in current and future state policies, programs, and procedures.

    For more information on the task force and specific directives, read the press release and the Executive Order.

    Information is changing rapidly, this update is current as of May 14, 2020

    It's important to rely on trusted sources of information about COVID-19. Keep up with the latest information on Coronavirus in North Carolina HERE.

    Text COVIDNC to 898211 to receive general information and updates about COVID-19 and North Carolina's response.

    Dial 2-1-1 provides free, confidential information and is available 24 hours a day to help you find resources within your community. They can connect you with people and groups that can help with questions about access to food, shelter, health care, employment and child care.

    Families who need food assistance for their children can text FOODNC to 877-877 to find free meal sites in their communities.

    Make sure to prioritize your overall wellness and don't hesitate to seek additional help. Optum has a toll-free 24-hour Emotional Support Help Line at 866-342-6892 for people who may be experiencing anxiety or stress due to Coronavirus.

    You can track the disease in real time through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' COVID-19 NC Dashboard. It includes detailed information about the state's COVID-19 confirmed cases, hospital capacity and more.

    On Wednesday, Governor Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen teamed up to answer questions from North Carolina’s young people about the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the Kid’s Q&A.

    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) launched new online tools to help people identify if they should be tested and where that testing is available. Check My Symptoms is designed to help determine if you should be tested and Find My Testing Place will help locate a testing site

    NCDHHS also launched a new platform to integrate contact tracing efforts across the state under the COVID-19 Community Team. Over 900 local health departments’ staff and other Community Team members are using this new system to coordinate contact tracing efforts across the state.

    If you receive a text from 45394 or email from NC-ARIAS-NoReply@dhhs.nc.gov, followed by a phone call from your local health health department or NC OUTREACH (844-628-7223), contact tracers are trying to reach you.

    For more information please see the Testing FAQs and Contact Tracing FAQs.

    During this time it is imperative that everyone is informed about what is going on in our state. Governor Cooper's administration has been working to get information and resources translated for the Spanish speaking population in our state. Many of the Governor's press conferences, press releases, and executive orders are available in Spanish. Resources are also available in Spanish on the DHHS website.

I want to thank our dedicated men and women operating our 2-1-1 resource assistance phone line. They’ve marked 50,000 calls processed since the start of this pandemic, helping people get connected with community & social service resources. We are really grateful for your efforts.

— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) June 4, 2020