Orange County issued a stay-at-home order for county residents and its municipalities on Thursday morning, the latest step the local government is taking to address the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus.

County officials told the community on Wednesday an announcement mandating residents to remain in their homes as much as possible would be coming soon, with the order being fully release Thursday morning. It will go into effect for the county on Friday at 6 p.m. and is slated to last until April 30. The order can, however, be modified for extension or reduction by county officials.

The order prohibits any gathering of more than ten people indoors and requires residents to remain six feet away from others when outdoors, which is the recommended distance made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The order also requires many employers and employees to work from home, with many exceptions made for businesses considered ‘essential’ to the community during the ongoing outbreak.

Rich, who is the Chair of the Board of Orange County Commissioners, said the order was put together in about 48 hours after discussions between the county government, health officials and the municipalities. In an interview with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck on Wednesday, she described the order as simply a step further to what many who are social distancing are already doing.

“Most people will find this does not affect them,” said Rich. “But in some instances, for example, we don’t want people to be in a place with 10 [other] people. It gives more detail on what you can and cannot do, it expands on what [Governor Roy Cooper] has put in place for us to do. But at the same time, it tells you what can stay in business.”

Shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders are often amendments to earlier state of emergency declarations, which Orange County made on March 13. While these orders are traditionally used to protect the public during or immediately after emergencies like natural disasters or mass shootings, many areas in the U.S. have issued them simply to require residents to remain in their homes and to limit travel to essential trips amid the coronavirus’ spread. The orders typically close all businesses deemed ‘nonessential,’ but those like grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, banks, gas stations and daycare centers may stay open. Orange County’s order deems all of those, and many more, as essential businesses.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared a release on Thursday following the order’s release, saying it anticipates compliance by residents to stay home as much as possible. The message said deputies who encounter people violating the order will use common sense and discretion in those encounters, keeping the safety and well-being of all parties in mind.

“In general, we have been pleased with the community’s response to the earlier State of Emergency declaration,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood, “but the number of infected people in our community is rising. The Stay-at-Home order is a critically important step. We need to do everything we can to slow the spread of the virus to help medical centers keep up with rising demand. It might be your family member; it might be you.”

The town government in Orange County all voiced support for the stay-at-home order on Thursday, as all three were part of the decision-making process for issuing one.

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle issued a proclamation consenting to the county’s declaration.

“The county-wide ‘stay at home’ declaration issued today represents around-the-clock efforts by county and town leaders to once again address the coronavirus emergency together with one voice,” wrote Lavelle on the town’s website. “We felt this coordination was absolutely necessary in order to most effectively combat this crisis across Orange County.”

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger also said her town is endorsing the declaration, sharing a video message to the community on Thursday.

“Protecting all members of our community is our top priority,” Hemminger said. “By staying home, each one of us is preventing the spread of the virus so others don’t become infected or seriously ill.”

Mayor Jenn Weaver of Hillsborough later issued a proclamation for her town to promote the order.

“This stay-at-home proclamation aims to drive home the serious nature of this pandemic and to help our residents and businesses understand what we need to do to keep ourselves and each other safe,” Weaver said in a town release. “Our collective commitment to complying with this order ― agreeing to stay at home and stay physically apart from others ― will determine how well our community fares in the coronavirus emergency.”

Orange County’s decision follows the city of Durham’s issuance of a stay-at-home order on Wednesday morning. Durham’s order lists essential activities exempted by the order as ones important to health and safety, getting necessary supplies and services, and outdoor activity at least six feet from others.

As of Thursday, Orange County has 16 reported positive cases of COVID-19. The first coronavirus-related deaths in North Carolina were also reported on Wednesday.

To view the full stay-at-home order by the Orange County government, visit the county’s website. To learn what specific actions you can and cannot do, visit Chapelboro’s guidelines for the order.

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