LOCAL

Coronavirus: NC, Buncombe still deciding whether to move to Phase 3 on June 26

Mackenzie Wicker
Asheville Citizen Times

ASHEVILLE - The second phase of easing coronavirus restrictions is set to expire at 5 p.m. June 26, but neither North Carolina nor Buncombe officials have yet announced whether the reopening process will continue as planned.

Cooper said June 16 that state officials would be making a call on Phase 3 — which would allow businesses that are still shuttered because of COVID-19 to reopen — early this week. 

But on June 22, Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said they have not yet determined whether the state will continue easing restrictions, noting increases in COVID-19 case counts, deaths and hospitalizations.

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Buncombe health department officials said in a release that evening that they will assess the new orders from the governor — once they are released — and "make recommendations to county leadership based on our local trends and what we believe is best for the residents of Buncombe County."

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will ultimately decide whether the county follows the governor’s order as written or institutes additional local restrictions. The seven-person board is scheduled to hold a special meeting June 24 to discuss Phase 3, among other things.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper delivers a briefing on North Carolina's coronavirus pandemic response Monday, June 15, 2020, at the N.C. Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, N.C. (Casey Toth/The News & Observer via AP)

Under Cooper's current order, North Carolina restaurants can offer dine-in seating, and barber shops and hair and nail salons are open — but all at reduced capacity. Bars, movie theaters, bowling alleys and gyms remain closed.

The ongoing Buncombe order is much the same, but with a few additional restrictions, including a mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings.

More:NC Gov urges all to wear masks to slow COVID-19, stops short of order

'Moving in the wrong direction'

As of the morning of June 22, there had been 53,605 cases of COVID-19 in the state — an increase of 804 from the day before — and 1,223 deaths due to the virus. There were 870 people hospitalized with the illness.

More:Coronavirus: NC return to stay-at-home order possible as cases surge, health secretary says

In Buncombe, there have been 504 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 37 deaths.

Cohen said in an afternoon briefing, that North Carolina is seeing "significant spread of COVID-19" across the state.

North Carolina DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen listens as Gov. Roy Cooper speaks during a briefing on North Carolina's coronavirus pandemic response Monday, Jun. 15, 2020, at the N.C. Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, N.C.  (Casey Toth/The News & Observer via AP)

"Our key metrics ... are moving in the wrong direction," she said. "The percent of emergency room visits for COVID-like illness is trending upward for the second week. Our cases continue to climb and the percent of tests that are positive continues to be high at around 10%. Our hospitalizations are at some of their highest levels since the start of this pandemic, in the mid-800s."

She said the largest increase in cases have been in people under the age of 49 and that the Hispanic and Latinx communities are being hit particularly hard.

More:County: Coronavirus 5 times higher in Asheville, Buncombe Latinos; mask-wearers mocked

As officials look toward the possibility of fully reopening the state, Cohen said they are "trying to find the right balance here between reigniting the economy and protecting the public health."

Mackenzie Wicker covers Buncombe County for the Asheville Citizen Times. You can reach her at mwicker@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter @MackWick.

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