ASHEVILLE - In many states, including in North Carolina, people have been taking to the streets, sans face masks, to call for a reopening of communities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Roy Cooper's statewide "stay home" order — issued March 30 in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 — expires April 29, leading some to believe an end to the lockdown is in sight.

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But in Buncombe, the social distancing measures are indefinite. Local health officials made clear in an April 20 briefing that they won't be fully lifted any time soon. They predict an extension to the statewide order, as well.

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Emergency preparedness director Fletcher Tove responded to those calling for officials to ease restrictions immediately, comparing the situation to jumping out of an airplane with a parachute.

Fully lifting social distancing measures now would be like removing a working parachute while "still 1,000 feet in the air" because it slowed an initial fall, he said.

"If we get rid of our parachute too early, we'll go into another free fall and if we have time to throw out another one, it will be smaller and more painful," he said. "So, we don’t want to waste the sacrifices we’ve made in our community by opening too early or too quickly.”

State, Buncombe 'Stay home' orders will likely be extended

Based on models and conversations with the state, Buncombe officials anticipate an extension to Cooper's order, stretching most of the statewide measures into May.

Some parts of the order may be relaxed or modified, said Tove, and county departments will respond to those changes once they have been assessed.

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Tove repeated a message from a briefing last week, reiterating that Buncombe's reopening process will be gradual and science-based. If Buncombe begins lifting restrictions and there is a surge in COVID-19 cases, officials will re-implement the measures quickly.

"We know, from available data, that government action has been the main factor in how well different countries have responded to the pandemic," he said. "When leaders set and enforce smart policies, it saves lives and protects our well being.”

Tove said Buncombe’s "stay home" declaration — followed shortly by the statewide order from Cooper — “did just that."

"I also ask that everyone take a moment to consider the consequences if we move to open things up too early or too fast," he said.

"We're going to follow the data and trends and make our own assessments based on the science and recommendations of public health experts," Tove added

COVID-19: less predictable, more deadly than the flu

Interim health director Dr. Jennifer Mullendore also responded to the calls for government to lift restrictions on the public, noting that some of the protesters are still comparing COVID-19 to the seasonal flu.

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The seasonal flu has a death rate of about 0.1%. COVID-19's death rate is around 1%, “which means it’s 10 times more deadly” than the flu, Mullendore said. The illness caused by novel coronavirus also spreads more rapidly.

She added that it's harder to predict who will catch COVID-19 or die from it. Although individuals who are 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions are at a higher risk, the greatest percentage of Buncombe's cases, 42%, have been in individuals between 25 and 49. Nationally, young people are being hospitalized at high rates and dying.

Furthermore, there is still not treatment, cure or vaccine for COVID-19, though Mullendore said there has been "an acceleration in research and trials."

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She said it's important to continue to take the pandemic seriously and to understand that the restrictions that are in place exist to protect individuals' health and prevent overwhelming the local health care system.

Mackenzie Wicker covers Buncombe County for the Asheville Citizen Times. You can reach her at mwicker@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter @MackWick.

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