On Tuesday afternoon Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina public schools will open for in-person instruction this fall under an updated “Plan B” that requires face coverings for all K-12 students, reduced classroom capacities and additional social distancing measures. The Strong Schools NC Public Health Toolkit outlines the updated requirements for Plan B. Individual school districts may choose to operate under Plan C, which calls for remote learning only.
The Governor also announced that North Carolina will remain in Phase 2 of its reopening after the current executive order expires this Friday, July 17. The Governor indicated North Carolina will stay in Phase 2 for at least three more weeks.
The latest stats on the outbreak in North Carolina, as of Noon today: North Carolina reported 1,956 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases yesterday. 1,109 individuals are currently hospitalized statewide – the highest total recorded since the start of the outbreak and the sixth consecutive day of 1,000+ hospitalizations. Presently, of 2,453 ventilators available statewide, 921 are in use, or about 37.5%.
A message from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on how individual Americans can take personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the COVID-19 threat this summer:
Community testing events are taking place every day across North Carolina, many of which offer free testing regardless of whether you have health insurance. For example, testing events will take place at Beulaville and Wallace Elementary Schools in Duplin County on Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, and another testing event will take place at the Mounty Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Riegelwood, Columbus County on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For an up-to-date list of community testing events scheduled statewide, click here.
An important reminder from the FDA: If you have recovered from COVID-19, you may be able to donate your plasma to help patients currently fighting the virus. It’s likely your plasma now includes COVID-19 antibodies, which helped your immune system fight off the virus – those antibodies may now be able to be used to help others win their battle against the disease, as well. More information about donating plasma, as well as information on eligibility and where to donate, is available from the FDA here.
Duke Energy is warning that scams targeting customers during the COVID-19 outbreak are on the rise, with June 2020 being the highest month on record for reported scam attempts targeting Duke Energy customers. More information on the scammers’ new tactics, as well as what to do if you suspect you have been a target or victim of fraud, is available from Duke Energy here.
Columbus County Schools is seeking feedback on its Remote Instruction Plan here. I listed links for parents to offer feedback on school reopening plans from several other school systems in our area in yesterday’s newsletter, available here.
For today’s good news story,. I’m highlighting Tony Moore of Turkey, Sampson County who recently opened “Burgers & Moore” in the heart of town as a way to invest in his community. “We looked at our town and our town was really going downhill considerably, so we wanted to invest in our town and make a difference,” Tony said. “So, here we are. I’m excited; it’s good to see life coming back to the area. That’s really what we wanted to see.” Tony is the kind of entrepreneur who is the lifeblood of our local economies and will be so critical to our post-COVID recovery.
