16 cases of Coronavirus reported in North Carolina; No cases reported on the Outer Banks
By Friday afternoon, the state of North Carolina had a total of 16 presumptive positive and confirmed positive cases of the novel Coronavirus, per an update from the News & Observer, however, there were no cases reported in Dare or Hyde Counties.
North Carolina’s first reported case of COVID-19 occurred on March 3 in Wake County. The patient had recently traveled to Washington state to a health care facility that later reported an outbreak of the virus.
Additional cases were reported in Wake County in the days that followed, as well as Chatham County, Cabarrus County, Forsyth County, Mecklenburg County, and Onslow County, which is the lone case to occur in Eastern N.C.
Per a recent update from the Outer Banks Voice, Dare County’s Department of Health and Human Services Nursing Director, Debbie Dutton, stated that the county is in good shape when it comes to having the resources to accommodate people who need to be tested for the novel coronavirus. Tests have been conducted on the Outer Banks, and there have been no positive test results for the novel coronavirus in Dare County
“Most, if not all providers, have the testing materials necessary to provide tests,” Dutton told the Voice, noting that tests can be administered through private providers, urgent care facilities, and the Outer Banks Hospital. She added that the decision of whether to administer a test is made by the medical professional after a patient evaluation. The medical providers then send tests to commercial laboratories, with results returned approximately 24-48 hours after testing.
It is recommended that patients call their healthcare provider to inquire about testing if have the following symptoms, which may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
- A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
- Persistent cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Negative flu test, if one was administered
Local officials also announced on Friday that they strongly support the State’s proactive response and efforts to limit impacts from COVID-19 to the local community. “Dare County and the municipalities have plans, partnerships, and resources in place to support the community. We are working in close coordination with all community stakeholders and the state,” said Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard.
The seven statewide recommendations were made by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to reduce the spread of infection in order to protect lives and avoid strain on our health care system. NC DHHS is making these recommendations for the next 30 days and will re-assess at that point.
“We thank the local community for their support of all efforts to keep the impact and spread of the disease to our community minimal. The state is taking bold measures to prevent the spread. We understand these guidelines have tremendous impacts throughout the community but now is the time to take action and follow these recommendations to limit potential spread in our community,” said Dare County Public Health Director Sheila Davies. “Now is the time for our community to come together and get ahead of this while we still can. If our community follows these recommendations, it will reduce the number of people impacted and infected in Dare County.”
Recommendations include instructing high-risk people to stay home as much as possible. High-risk includes those 65 years of age or older, or persons with underlying health conditions, including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, or persons with weakened immune systems.
Organizers of events that draw more than 100 people should cancel, postpone, modify these events or offer online streaming services. Local events and gatherings of more than 100 people are already being canceled in Dare County. Kelly’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for Sunday, March 15 in Nags Head has been canceled. Additional cancellations and postponements are expected as event organizers and local officials work together to follow NCDHHS recommendations. Check local media outlets for updates on event cancellations and postponements.
NCDHHS does not recommend closures of schools at this time but does recommend schools and childcare centers cancel or reduce large events and gatherings and consider distance or e-learning in some settings. Dare County Schools announced on Friday that they are suspending school facility use outside of the instructional day for any gathering of 100 people or more, while all district and superior court sessions in N.C. for the next 30 days will also be rescheduled.
For more information on the county response to coronavirus, see https://www.darenc.com/departments/health-human-services/coronavirus.
