The City of Greensboro is planning to issue a stay at home order at a press conference at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 25. When that order will go into effect has not yet been announced.

Charlotte issued a stay at home order on Tuesday, March 24. Durham issued one on Wednesday, March 25 and Wake County is expected to follow later in the day.

Those orders have come after health officials have said that they are necessary when “community spread” has been identified, which means someone has tested positive for COVID-19 without visiting a place or person connected to the virus already.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said, “There is community spread in Greensboro and, in speaking with [Chief Executive Officer] Terry Akin at Moses Cone Hospital and what the trajectory looks like for the healthcare community, it is a step we felt we had to take.”

She added, “Based on conversations with Terry Akin, his epidemiologist and others, the City Council has decided to do what is in the best interest of the community and the healthcare system, and I believe that Guilford County is looking at those numbers, as is the city of High Point.”

Vaughan said, “Things are moving fast and there is no playbook for this.” She said that the healthcare professionals had made a very convincing argument that it was time to issue a stay-at-home order.

The specifics of that order are being worked out, but in other communities in the state the residents have been ordered to stay at home except to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, doctors appointments and other essential activities.

The complete list of essential businesses that will not be closed by the stay at home order is expected to be extensive and cover a broad range of businesses. In other communities, businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, banks, media organizations, funeral homes and child care centers are a few of the ones that were not affected by the ordinance.

The details of what the stay at home order in Greensboro will include will be made public at a 4 p.m. press conference.