New Hanover County Public Health is expanding access to COVID-19 testing starting today. Residents experiencing coronavirus symptoms can be pre-screened by phone and then directed to a drive-thru testing location at no cost.
Residents can call the Coronavirus Call Center at 910-798-6800 to speak with a public health nurse. Callers will be screened and asked their name, phone number, address, types of symptoms and the date symptoms started. If the nurse determines a person meets the criteria for testing, the person will be scheduled for a time to visit the county’s open-air, drive-thru testing site in downtown Wilmington, located next to the Schwartz Center. The test site will open to those with appointments later this week.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a page that includes travel recommendations by country due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As a reminder, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19.
Visit the Department of State's COVID-19 page here, with information for travelers and Americans living overseas.
There is growing concern about the meat supply chain, as the COVID-19 outbreak has forced the closure of several meat processing facilities across the country. The USDA has a COVID-19 frequently asked questions page here, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has a dedicated COVID-19 resources page for producers here.
Producers with coronavirus-related questions can call the NCDA&CS COVID-19 line at 1-866-747-9823.
So far, the CDC has awarded more than $29 millionto North Carolina in support of our COVID-19 response, funded by the CARES Act and other COVID-19 legislation approved by Congress. Learn more here.
The Columbus County Community Farmers Market will open for the 2020 season on Saturday, May 2, in accordance with guidelines from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The usual opening day festivities such as ribbon-cutting, a flag raising ceremony, and entertainment will not take place. The market is located at 132 Government Complex Road in Whiteville and will be open from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Visit their webpage for more info.
For today's good news story, I'm highlighting Make A Difference Food Pantry founder Kenzie Hinson and her volunteers, who provided over 200 plates of food to firefighters, EMS and law enforcement personnel across Wayne and Duplin Counties on Saturday. So many individual North Carolinians are pitching in to help our first responders and health care workers in this time of crisis.
