(5/22 12 p.m.) The town of Murphy in Cherokee County has announced that the town's pedestrian curfew has been lifted this week. This termination goes along with Governor Roy Cooper's announcement that the state is moving into Phase 2 at 5pm today.
(5/22 11:15 a.m.) - As of 11:00 a.m. on May 22nd, North Carolina has reported 21,618 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 758 cases from the day before. 568 people are currently hospitalized, a decrease of 10 from the day before. 728 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 12 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 11:00 a.m. on May 22nd, there are 710 cases of COVID-19 with 55 deaths, with 662 cases and 55 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
(5/21 6 p.m.) The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have announced that today (on Friday May 22) they will enter also Phase 2 of reopening COVID-19 restrictions. Restaurants, salons, personal care, grooming and tattoo business on the Qualla Boundary will be able to open at 50% capacity. Childcare and summer camps will be able to operate at 100% capacity. Here's the full order.
(5/21 5 p.m.) Haywood County Public Health announced that seven more Haywood County residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. These are the 33rd - 39th cases in the county. All are in isolation at home.
(5/21 4 p.m.) Macon County Public Health has announced two new positive cases of COVID-19. One of the new cases didn't caught the virus from any current cases in the county. The other is believed to have been in contact with another positive case and is an essential employee at a local business. The health department says it is working with the business to test all of its employees because "due to the nature of their work, these essential employees are unable to perform social distancing measures to the degree necessary to prevent exposure to COVID-19."
At this time, the health department does not believe that the general public who may have been at the store need to be tested because they were more likely to have been wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
(5/21 12:00 p.m.) - The Great Smoky Mountains National Park says several more roads and facilities will open by this Saturday. That includes picnic areas in Big Creek, Cades Cove, and Chimney Tops, as well as public restrooms at visitor centers and Clingman's Dome, Cable Mill, and Newfound Gap. Visitor centers themselves remain closed, as are all campgrounds. Clingman's Dome opened this week with a visit by Second Lady Karen Pence. The road to it remains closed to vehicles but is open for cyclists and pedestrians. More information can be found here.
(5/21 11:15 a.m.) - As of 11:00 a.m. on May 21st, North Carolina has reported 20,860 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 738 cases from the day before. 578 people are currently hospitalized, an increase of 24 from the day before. 716 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 14 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 11:00 a.m. on May 21st, there are 662 cases of COVID-19 with 55 deaths, with 624 cases and 54 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
(5/21 9:00 a.m.) - Today's free COVID-19 community testing site for the Deaverview community in Asheville has been postponed due to the weather. Buncombe County health officials say the will reschedule the event.
(5/20 11:15 a.m.) - As of 11:00 a.m. on May 20th, North Carolina has reported 20,122 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 422 cases from the day before. 554 people are currently hospitalized, a decrease of 31 from the day before. 702 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 11 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 11:00 a.m. on May 20th there are 624 cases of COVID-19 with 54 deaths, with 617 cases and 53 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
(5/20 9:00 a.m.) - Today's free COVID-19 community testing site to be run at the Sandy Mush Community Center has been canceled because of the weather. Buncombe County health officials say they will reschedule the event.
(5/19 4 p.m.) Graham County Sheriff Joseph Jones announced today that his office will not be enforcing the statewide order to keep restaurants closed beyond take-out orders. In a statement, Jones says that he hopes “the effort will allow some folks to recover as well as give citizens the opportunity to go eat inside while sitting with their family.” He says the statement has been distributed to local businesses and the county manager.
“The sheriff is an elected official and as such, he can make determinations of how best to run his department," says Becky Garland, Graham County Manager. "These are unprecedented times and I am sure that he did not make the decision without a lot of deliberation about what he deems is best for the citizens he has been charged to protect.”
(5/19 2:15 p.m.) - As of 2:00 p.m. on May 19th, North Carolina has reported 19,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 677 cases from the day before. 585 people are currently hospitalized, an increase of 76 from the day before. 691 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 30 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 2:00 p.m. on May 19th there are 617 cases of COVID-19 with 53 deaths, with 598 cases and 48 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
(5/19 9:00 a.m) - Today's community testing site to be held in the Pisgah View community in Asheville has been postponed due to rain. Buncombe County health officials say they will reschedule it.
(5/18 4:00 p.m.) - Buncombe County will run three more free COVID-19 community testing sites this week. Each is scheduled to be held from 1 to 4 in the afternoon:
Tuesday - Pisgah View community: 1 Granada Street Asheville NC 28806
Wednesday - Sandy Mush Community Center: 19 School Road Leicester NC 28748
Thursday - Deaverview community : 275 Deaverview Road Asheville NC 28806
Interim county public health director Dr. Jennifer Mullendore said with rain in the forecast for each day this week, testing could be postponed. At a Monday afternoon press briefing, Mullendore stated they’ll notify the public by 9 each morning whether the testing sites will take operate on the days they are scheduled. Before going, residents are being urged to use Buncombe County's COVID-19 self-checker to see if they should be tested.
(5/18 12:00 p.m.) - Asheville police have issued a citation to a restaurant that reopened with in-person dining over the weekend in defiance of state and local stay at home orders. Rise and Shine Café announced on its Facebook page that it was reopening with in-person dining, but has since taken down its page. In its own Facebook post Monday morning, Asheville police said officers issued a warning on Sunday after witnessing people eating at the restaurant. The current statewide order - which Buncombe County is following - mandates restaurants can only offer take out and delivery service during ‘Phase 1’ of the reopening of the state. Police returned Monday morning and found Rise and Shine to be in violation again, and the citation was issued. Police add more citations could be issued if the restaurant continues to allow in-person dining.
(5/18 11:15 a.m.) - As of 11:00 a.m. on May 18th, North Carolina has reported 19,023 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 511 cases from the day before. 511 people are currently hospitalized, an increase of 18 from the day before. 661 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 2 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 11:00 a.m. on May 18th there are 598 cases of COVID-19 with 48 deaths, with 581 cases and 48 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
(5/17 11:15 a.m.) - As of 11:00 a.m. on May 17th, North Carolina has reported 18,512 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 530 cases from the day before. 493 people are currently hospitalized, an increase of 12 from the day before. 659 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 7 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 11:00 a.m. on May 17th there are 581 cases of COVID-19 with 48 deaths, with 558 cases and 48 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
(5/16 11:15 a.m.) - As of 11:00 a.m. on May 16th, North Carolina has reported 17,982 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 853 cases from the day before. 481 people are currently hospitalized, a decrease of 11 from the day before. 652 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 11 from the day before. For more information, including county-by-county and demographic breakdowns, click here. In the 13 North Carolina counties in Blue Ridge Public Radio's listening area, as of 11:00 a.m. on May 16th there are 558 cases of COVID-19 with 48 deaths, with 534 cases and 46 deaths reported the day before. For information on cases in the state of Georgia, click here. For more local information, click here.
