Dare County Control Group meeting Monday morning; Several island restaurants offering take-out / delivery services

The Dare County Control Group is meeting on Monday morning to discuss the coronavirus response on the Outer Banks and to map out appropriate next steps as needed. The Dare County Control Group is a multi-jurisdictional policy-making body which is activated for emergencies and disasters, and after the meeting, the control group plans to activate the Joint Information Center so that information from various towns and partner organizations can be issued jointly, per an update from OBX Today.

The meeting is being held hours after the CDC posted new and stricter guidelines on steps to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. These guidelines include a recommendation that organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States for the next eight weeks.

Dare County Schools (DSC) Superintendent John Farrelly also noted in a Sunday night email to parents and families that the DSC remote learning plan will need to change due to these guidelines. Currently, DSC is orchestrating a remote learning plan for the next two weeks, but this may be extended. Next steps for staff will likely be announced sometime on Monday

Meanwhile, on Hatteras Island, several restaurants have announced that they will be switching to delivery and take-out services in the immediate future. Tavern on 12 in Frisco stated in an online update that they “will spend [Monday] organizing our team to serve the community through take-out and delivery services,” while Gidget’s Pizza & Pasta announced that “Beginning Tuesday, we will be delivering in the evenings and taking payments over the phone. We will also offer curbside pick-up but we won’t be on skates to bring it out to you.”

Per a Sunday afternoon announcement from the Fessenden Center in Buxton, all activities and classes at the community center are canceled starting on Monday, March 16. “This includes all youth and adult activities and fitness classes,” read the statement. “There will be no open gym or activity room use. More information regarding the duration of the cancellations will be shared as we receive information.”

Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative also announced over the weekend that in an effort to stop the potential spread of COVID-19, they will be limiting access to their Buxton office beginning Monday, March 16. The office will be staffed as normal, however, the front lobby will be closed. “For those needing to make a cash payment, we will accommodate you through the dropbox next to the front door,” stated the announcement.

For more information on the local response to Coronavirus, visit the Dare County website at https://www.darenc.com/departments/health-human-services/coronavirus.