Dare County provides Tuesday updates; Urges compassion and kindness during COVID-19 pandemic

Dare County officials urged the public to focus on kindness and compassion in their Tuesday update from the Joint Information Center.

“We all recognize that times like these tend to bring out the best in people, however, occasionally the opposite can occur as a result of stress and fear,” stated the update. “Our sense of community has always been strong when faced with adversity. Every person in Dare County is facing the uncertainty of this unprecedented crisis. Now is the time for heightened compassion and kindness. We truly are all in this together. There is no place for hate, ill will or labeling. Social media can be a useful tool for communication, but it also can be a platform for divisive and negative behavior. Everyone is encouraged to use social media to spread facts and information of support and care. Be kind to your neighbors and choose to look at the situation we are facing with understanding. Again, we are all in this together.”

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the nation continues to grow. In North Carolina there are 412 reported cases in 48 counties.

Medical providers in Dare County continue to test patients who are symptomatic and meet criteria for testing which includes: fever of 100.4 or greater, cough and symptoms of respiratory illness.  We have not had any individuals test positive for COVID-19 in Dare County.

Dare County remains under a State of Emergency. Restrictions remain in place prohibiting access to Dare County for visitors and non-resident property owners. The Dare County Control Group continues to meet daily to receive updates and make any decisions necessary to protect the public health and safety of our citizens. These are difficult and uncertain times and some may be challenged in paying their bills during this crisis. Local officials and county and town staff will work closely with community partners to connect those in need with appropriate resources.

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina has compiled a North Carolina Business Relief Resources COVID-19 Guide with extensive resources available to assist businesses and employees through the COVID-19 pandemic. The webpage is being updated regularly with new resources.

For an updated listing of local community resources, visit darenc.com/covidresources.

Yesterday, Governor Cooper announced an additional executive order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Executive Order 120 mandates all K-12 schools remain closed until May 15, 2020, bans mass gatherings of 50 people or more and requires non-essential businesses, where the ability to social distance is lessened, to close by 5:00 p.m. on  Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Businesses ordered to close include indoor exercise facilities such as gyms, trampoline parks, and yoga studios, movie theaters, bowling alleys, spas, sweepstakes/bingo halls, and other similar facilities. The order also applies to hair salons, nail salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors and massage therapists. The order also requires long term care facilities to restrict visitation of all visitors and non-essential health care personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations, for example, an end-of-life situation. The executive order is available online at https://files.nc.gov/governor/documents/files/EO120.pdf

Dare County
Large item pick-up for Hatteras Island and Martin’s Point is cancelled and will be rescheduled.  Sanitation services and the recycling centers are operating on a normal schedule. Please note: There is no cardboard recycling at the Rodanthe Recycle Yard at this time. Please bring cardboard to the Manteo Recycle Center or the Buxton Transfer Station.

The Dare County COVID-19 Call Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to help address your questions on COVID-19 and can be reached at 252.475.5008.

For updated information regarding Dare County services, visit www.darenc.com/covidservices.

National Park Service
To minimize potential spread of COVID-19, consistent with federal, state, and local advisories, visitor centers at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial are temporarily closed.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

• The Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island visitor centers are closed.
• Off-road vehicle (ORV) permits can be purchased online at www.recreation.gov. The status of each ORV ramp and beach route can be found at http://go.nps.gov/beachaccess.
• The Oregon Inlet Campground is closed.
• The grounds of the Bodie Island, Cape Hatteras, and Ocracoke Light Stations are open.
• Beachgoers should use caution in the ocean as no lifeguards are on duty at this time of year.

For National Park Service COVID-19 updates, visit www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

The next bulletin will be issued no later than Wednesday, March 25 at 1:00 p.m.