North Carolina Schools To Remain Closed For Rest Of School Year, Remote Learning To Continue, New Budget Proposal Announced

Governor Roy Cooper announced on Friday that public schools will remain closed for the duration of the school year, with remote learning continuing, along with a $1.4 billion budget proposal to help the state with coronavirus relief.

The decision to keep schools closed was largely expected. Cooper originally closed K-12 schools in all 115 districts in mid-March for two weeks, then extended his executive order through May 15.

“Today, we’ve had to make another tough choice,” Gov. Cooper said. “Together with Superintendent Johnson and Chairman Davis, we have decided to continue remote learning for the rest of this school year for our K-12 public schools. School classrooms may be closed, but the learning is not over.”

While the schools remain closed the governor has also announced a partnership with AT&T which will provide 100 hotspots for use in school buses to help students without home internet access. The state also has a partnership with Duke Energy Foundation which will provide 80 school bus hotspots.

Gov. Cooper also praised public school workers and teachers for their continued work to educate and help service students during the pandemic.

“Those of you who know me know that teachers have always been my heroes, starting with my mom. Most of them already go the extra mile for their students and now, they’re running a marathon,” Gov. Cooper said.

When reopening the school buildings for the next school term there will be new measures in place to protect the health of all individuals. The opening of schools in the summer and fall, along with the availability of summer camps, are dependent on meeting health guidelines.

In addition, Gov. Cooper released a proposed budget for the state that directs $1.4 billion in federal funds to help the state from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund.

The budge package is intended to fund immediate needs in three main areas: public health and safety, continuity of operations for education and other state government services and assistance to small businesses and local governments.

Key investments from the proposal include:

$75 million for rural and underserved communities and health care providers that are particularly hard hit by COVID-19.

$75 million to support testing, tracing and trends analysis as well as have the Personal Protective Equipment needed to help North Carolina move into Phase 1 of easing restrictions.

$78 million for school nutrition to continue to serve as many as 500,000 meals a day to children who depend on these meals to meet basic nutrition needs typically met in school.

$243 million for public schools to enhance remote learning and get ready for the next school year in a “new normal.” Funds are a joint request from DPI and the State Board of Education.

$52 million to the UNC system and private colleges to help with remote learning and COVID-19 impacts.

$300 million to assist local governments, distributed based partially on population and partially on acute need.

“We know that people are hurting, businesses are struggling, and local governments are facing severe shortages. That’s why we have to act now to get resources in the hands of people and organizations that provide vital support,” Cooper said.

NCDHHS Has Been Awarded $2 Million Grant To Support State’s Behavioral Health Response To COVID-19

NCDHHS has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the state’s behavioral health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more about it HERE.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS), local health departments, plant managers and corporate owners, community health centers and local hospitals are working together to keep workers safe and to help ensure the world’s food supply remains stable. More information about their efforts can be found HERE.

NCDHHS has received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to temporarily waive certain Medicaid policies as part of North Carolina’s response to the COVID-19.

DHHS received temporary modifications to home- and community-based services provided through Medicaid waivers, including the Innovations, Community Alternatives for Disabled Adults, Community Alternatives for Children and Traumatic Brain Injury waivers.

These requests include removing certain dollar and stay limits, expanding the type of location where services can be delivered and easing requirements for reviews of personalized care plans and in-person meetings. Flexibilities are effective March 13, 2020, to March 12, 2021, the end of the public health emergency, or when the State determines the flexibilities are no longer necessary, whichever is first. Temporary modifications to waiver services and requirements will be made on an individual basis.

South Carolina Public Schools Will Remain Closed Through Spring Semester

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina has officially taken its public schools virtual for the remainder of the school year, extending a distance-learning environment implemented more than a month ago as the new coronavirus outbreak emerged in the state.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman News Conference WATCH LIVE: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman are expected to announce plans for the rest of the school year Posted by WCCB, Charlotte's CW on Wednesday, April 22, 2020

As had been anticipated, Gov. Henry McMaster announced Wednesday that all public K-12 schools will remain closed through the rest of the spring semester. The governor has already called for colleges and universities in the state to stay virtual for the rest of this term, and several have announced plans for delayed or virtual commencement exercises for graduating students.

In mid-March, McMaster initially shuttered public schools for the remainder of that month, setting into motion an e-learning program new to most students and teachers across the state. Food centers and delivery options were set up for students reliant on food provided in schools, as well as any others in need, and hundreds of the state’s school buses were equipped with Wi-Fi to serve as hotspots for students without internet access at home.

Last month, state Education Superintendent Molly Spearman also noted that she had requested a waiver from federally required student assessments administered to the state’s students each spring.

McMaster’s closure decision applies to South Carolina’s public schools. Some private educational institutions across the state have already indicated they will follow suit.

The order comes as the governor is beginning to loosen other restrictions, allowing businesses previously deemed non-essential — department stores, flea markets, florists, bookstores and music shops — to reopen their doors. The governor’s official stay-at-home order remains in place, although that mandate already allowed the patronage of essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores and medical facilities, as well as thousands of others that received waivers from state officials.

The governor has also lifted a mandatory closure order for the state’s beaches, provided that visitors practice social distancing, although some coastal towns have said they’ll stay shut down for now.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Signs Executive Order That Allows Furloughed Employees The Ability To File For Unemployment

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that he signed an Executive Order that will give furloughed employees the ability to file for unemployment.

Currently, the state has issued $580M to unemployment claims in North Carolina, according to Cooper.

Read the full Executive Order HERE.

Gov. Cooper says an announcement will be made later this week in reference to reopening schools and businesses.

Mecklenburg County Has Confirmed Over 1,200 Cases Of Covid-19, 31 Deaths

As of 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20th, there were 1,231 county residents diagnosed with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) with 31 related deaths, according to Mecklenburg County Public Health officials.

Public Health officials say many individuals infected by COVID-19 have not been tested because they are asymptomatic or do not meet current CDC recommendations for testing. So, these results are continually changing and may not represent the total number of COVID-19 cases in our community.

Additional information includes:

About 3 in 4 reported cases were adults ages 20 to 59 years old. Three reported cases were among children less than a year old.

More than half of reported cases have been determined to meet CDC criteria to be released from isolation.

Twenty-nine deaths due to COVID-19 occurred among reported cases. All deaths occurred among adults with underlying chronic illnesses. Almost all were among older adults (≥ 60 years) and hospitalized. Nearly 3 in 5 were male, and half were non-Hispanic Black.

Individuals who have chronic illnesses like heart disease, respiratory illnesses, diabetes, and hypertension are more likely to experience severe complications and death due to COVID-19. Persisting disparities in rates of these chronic illnesses and adequate access to health resources among non-Hispanic Blacks are driving inequities in illness and death related to COVID-19 in our community and many communities nationwide

For more information of Covid-19 in Mecklenburg County, click HERE.

COVID-19 Related Deaths In North Carolina Has Already Surpassed Flu Deaths For The Year

In North Carolina the amount of COVID-19 related deaths have reached 179 as of Monday morning, in less than a month, and has already surpassed flu deaths for this year, according to NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen.

“As of this morning there were 6,764 cases in 93 counties. 373 people who are currently hospitalized. And sadly, there have been 179 deaths,” Cohen said.

The novel strand of coronavirus is now the leading cause of death in the United States, Cohen stated.

Just before the 2 p.m. briefing today, Governor Cooper announced that North Carolina is one of four states to be approved for the new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program.

North Carolina has been approved for the new Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program that will help families impacted by COVID-19 buy groceries. Through this program, @ncdhhs will provide food benefits for more than 800,000 children across the state.https://t.co/NurAvtMa2s pic.twitter.com/6U84IsyXlY — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) April 20, 2020

This program will help families purchase food for more than 800,000 children who normally receive free and reduced lunch at school.

“So many families are in need, especially with so many out of work right now. This approval helps people get assistance faster to feed their families,” Governor Cooper said in a news release.

Families will receive $250 per child, provided in two installments, paid for with federal funds. Families will not need to apply those who are eligible and already receiving food and nutrition benefits.

Families who are eligible for this benefit but not enrolled in Food and Nutrition Services will be mailed a new EBT card in the next few weeks with instructions on how to use and activate the card.

A new program will help families buy food for kids impacted by school closings.

– Families whose kids are eligible for free & reduced school lunch will receive $250 in benefits/child

– Families do NOT need to apply

– Benefits will roll out soon

More: https://t.co/gFru5bWfbM pic.twitter.com/yuGqA68saT — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 20, 2020

NC Governor Roy Cooper Announces More Supplies And Widespread Testing Needed Before Reopening State

Governor Roy Cooper announced strides to reopen the state following President Trump’s Thursday announcement of a 3-phase plan to reopen the economy. Gov. Cooper stated that the President’s guidelines align with what the state has been doing but more supplies are needed before reopening can happen.

The President has left the responsibility to me as Governor to make decisions about how & when we ease restrictions in our state. I accept that. But when we’re faced with global supply chain breakdowns when it comes to supplies & equipment, the federal government must help more. — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) April 17, 2020

“Easing restrictions in our state without masks, gowns and gloves is like setting off on a 3-day camping trip without enough food for one night,” Gov. Cooper said. “We need all of these supplies to collect more test samples and to ensure hospitals and first responders have what they need.

So far North Carolina has conducted at least 73,000 tests and testing is up in the state by 88 percent over the last two weeks but more widespread testing is needed before opening the state will be considered.

“We need testing to be more widespread and we need to use it to give us a better indication of where we are in this fight,” Gov. Cooper said. “Today we announce a partnership with three of our state’s medical universities to use testing and tracing to help us determine how far the disease has spread in the state.”

The three universities announced in the initiative are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University and Duke University. This will be a part of the state’s coordinated effort to better understand the true number of COVID-19 infections.

Gov. Cooper and members of the Coronavirus Task Force will give an update at 2:00pm. Stream it LIVE here: https://t.co/Fc2ZJFhWur — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) April 17, 2020

There is no perfect time for reopening but there is health guidance, business guidance common sense, the governor stated. Along with testing, tracing and trends the governor believes the state will make the right decision on when to get people back to work.

Mecklenburg County Public Health Officials Don’t Expect Coronavirus ‘Peak’ Until June

Mecklenburg County public health officials say they don’t expect a ‘peak’ in coronavirus cases in the county until June.

County Manager Dena Diorio and Public Health Director Gibbie Harris held a news conference to provide updates on the coronavirus on April 14th.

Harris told Mecklenburg County’s Board Of County Commissioners that models are showing the peak of the pandemic coming closer to June if resident’s continue to follow social distancing protocols.

Officials are working to figure out when and how to start reopening businesses. However, there is concern that lifting the Stay At Home order at the end of April would cause the amount of confirmed coronavirus cases to spike in Mecklenburg County, according to Harris.

Watch the full news conference below.

COVID-19 Update (4/14) An update on the County's response to COVID-19. Posted by Mecklenburg County Government on Tuesday, April 14, 2020

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Says 561,000 People Have Filed For Unemployment Amid Coronavirus Crisis

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and public health officials held a news conference to provide updates to the state’s response to the coronavirus.

As of April 13th, Gov. Cooper said 561,000 people have filed for unemployment insurance in the state. A total of $66M in unemployment benefits have been sent to North Carolinians.

Click HERE to file for unemployment in North Carolina.

The Director Of North Carolina Emergency Management Michael Sprayberry says the state is doing well getting surgical masks and gloves to hospitals, first responders, etc. but they only have a short supply of other personal protective equipment.

Sprayberry said many food banks across the state are in need of food and that many of the people who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus are relying on food banks to have access to food. Learn more about applying for food or health assistance HERE.

North Carolina Officials Say Approximately 500 Inmates Could Be Released From Prison To Reduce Population Due To Coronavirus

During the April 13th coronavirus news conference with North Carolina officials, Secretary Erik Hooks said in an effort to keep staff and inmates safe, the Department Of Public Safety (DPS) has taken numerous steps over the last several weeks to help reduce the opportunity for the coronavirus to spread in prisons.

One of the new efforts is to reduce the prison population slightly, according to Hooks.

Secretary Erik Hooks: By law, the DPS Secretary has the authority to extend the limits of confinement of incarcerated persons, allowing certain individuals to continue serving their sentence outside of a DPS prison facility under the supervision of community correction officers. — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 13, 2020

DPS is utilizing three primary considerations in determining which inmates are eligible to serve their sentence outside of prison, according to Hooks.

DPS is not currently considering individuals incarcerated for a crime against a person

The individuals currently under consideration are near their release date (priority is given to those with release dates in 2020)

Initial focus is on older population and those with underlying health conditions

Hooks said this is difficult because a majority of inmates over 65-years-old are incarcerated for serious crimes against a person.

Some inmates have already started serving their sentences outside of prison. Hooks said a dozen pregnant woman have already been released from jail.

Secretary Erik Hooks: The approximately 500 offenders currently being considered cannot have been convicted of a violent crime against a person, must have a projected release date in 2020 and must fall within one of the following categories . . . — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 13, 2020

Hooks said they will also look at reducing the population in their juvenile detention centers.

Since March 1st, Hooks says 16 juvenile offenders were released from youth development centers back to their home or to a community-based step-down program.

Hooks also said they will increase the use of electronic monitoring devices.

Secretary Erik Hooks: –> Extensive increase in the use of electronic monitoring and other alternatives to detention. — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 13, 2020

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Signs New Executive Order Requiring New Social Distancing Policies

Governor Roy Cooper has signed a new executive order on Thursday as the confirm cases of coronavirus in the state reach 3,651 to help continue to reduce the spread while consumers are in stores.

The governor stated that the order will implement three important things. First, it will require new social distancing policies at all open stores. This includes the following:

Stores may not have a number of people inside at one time that is more than 20% of the stated fire capacity or either five people for every 1,000 square feet.

Stores must also mark 6 feet of distance at places where people need to gather, like checkout lines, and they must perform frequent environmental cleaning and routine disinfection.

The order also encourages stores to make hand sanitizer accessible, set shopping times for seniors and at-risk people, use shields at check out and mark aisles as one-way to limit traffic.

“This should make shopping safer for everyone and help prevent stores from becoming flashpoints for virus transmission,” Gov. Cooper said.

The second part of the order requires nursing homes to screen employees and residents for symptoms of sickness while the third part requires additional measures to get more unemployment claims processed faster.

The order will for employers to file a batch of claims on behalf of their employees which is known as an attached claim.

@NC_Governor: By temporarily eliminating some hurdles for employers, we hope to get benefits in the hands of those who need them faster. Since 3/16, the Division of Employment Security has accepted over 497k unemployment claims. NC has sent $40.3M with more going out every day. — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 9, 2020

The order will go into effect on Monday at 5 p.m.

North Carolina Officials Identify Coronavirus Hotspot At Skilled Nursing Facility In Orange County

Governor Roy Cooper says a hotspot of transmission has been revealed at a skilled nursing facility in Orange County. A series of tests confirmed 60 positive cases with seven hospitalizations and two deaths. Governor Coopers says that facilities with residents living with the virus will house those residents separately to make sure they are cared for by separate staff members to limit transmission of the virus.

North Carolina Health Secretary Mandy Cohen says there are 21 outbreaks of COVID-19. An outbreak means two or more people have tested positive in a congregate setting. Of the 21 outbreaks, 18 are in long-term care facilities.

Mecklenburg County Public Health Officials Say African Americans Make Up 48% Of Positive Coronavirus Cases In The County

Mecklenburg County Manager Dena R. Diorio, Public Health Director Gibbie Harris, Pastor Jordan Boyd Of Rockwell AME Zion Church, and other local leaders held a news conference to provide updates on the coronavirus.

During the news conference, officials said African Americans made up 48% of the positive coronavirus cases in the county. They went on to say that they were going to start running ads on radio stations that target the African American community to help get information out about testing and care.

Watch the full news conference here:

An update on the County's response to COVID-19. https://t.co/dfCKhzk5Uo — Mecklenburg County (@MeckCounty) April 8, 2020

North Carolina Only Has 805 ICU Beds Available Statewide

North Carolina is reporting 3,426 positive cases of coronavirus across the state. This is 205 more cases than previously reported on Tuesday, April 7th within 90 counties.

According to health officials, there have been 42,987 completed tests in North Carolina. This number reflects the testing that is completed by the NC State Laboratory of Public Health, reporting hospitals and commercial labs.

There have been 53 resident deaths caused by the virus in North Carolina.

There are currently 386 COVID-19 hospitalization cases across the state.

For more information on COVID-19 in North Carolina, including the amount of hospital beds and ventilators in our hospitals, click HERE.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Member of the Coronavirus Task Force Provide COVID-19 Updates

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper addressed citizens with an update on COVID-19 Friday after the positive case count in the state rose above 2,000.

“Even as we acknowledge passing 2,000 cases, we are entering the first weekend of my order to Stay at Home. I need you to do that,” Gov. Gooper said.

.@SecMandyCohen: As of this morning, there are 2,093 cases from 86 NC counties. Of these, 43% are in ages 25-49, 29% in ages 50-64 and 20% in people 65+. 259 people are currently hospitalized. Sadly, there have been 19 deaths. — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 3, 2020

The governor addressed the importance of staying at home as no one is immune to COVID-19 nor is there a vaccine.

“Even though we don’t yet have medicines to stop the virus, we do have something that can. People. Stopping the spread is in our control,” Gov. Cooper said.

When it comes to fighting the virus, or ‘battle’ as Gov. Cooper called it, there are medical supplies and personal protective equipment needed.

And the lack of equipment has been described as bad by the governor.

“North Carolina has received three shipments from the Strategic National Stockpile,” Gov. Cooper said. “We are grateful for these supplied, but to be clear we’ve gotten just 33% of what we’ve asked for.”

“This pandemic is a war, and we need the armor to fight it,” Gov. Cooper said.

The governor expressed that many North Carolina manufacturers have been encouraged to shift production lines to create masks, gloves and gowns along with other materials that are needed.

.@NC_Governor I know the President has ordered some companies to ramp up production of ventilators. This is important and badly needed. But the federal government can and should do more to direct industries to help produce masks, gowns, gloves and other supplies. — NCDHHS (@ncdhhs) April 3, 2020

According to NC Director of Emergency Management Mike Sprayberry, as of April 2nd, it is the 25th day of the State Emergency Operations Center activation in response to COVID-19. During this time 62 counties have activated local emergency operations centers along with 99 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have declared states of emergency.

Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gets Emotional During Presentation, Says The County Will Need State And Federal Help

Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris apologized for crying during a COVID-19 presentation she was giving on April 2nd in Raleigh. She said Mecklenburg County now has 493 cases and three deaths (as of 9am on April 2nd).

“We have accelerated quickly,” said Harris as Mecklenburg county has had over 190 cases in the last three days, according to her report.

Harris also said more than 80 of the cases are people aged 20-59 and that people who are 60-years-old and older are having more complications from the coronavirus. Roughly 25% of the people were hospitalized, many improved, and got discharged but then had to go back to the hospital, according to Harris’ report.

Gibbie Harris: #Mecklenburg >80 of cases are in those between 20-59. 60 yo + have more complications, hospitalized more.

sig'ly contributing to our cmty spread.

25% hospitalized, many improve, get discharged then have to go back. #coronavirusNC #coronavirus #NCGA #NCPOL — NC Health News (@NCHealthNews) April 2, 2020

A lot of these cases are from community spread, according to Harris. She said too many people were at county parks over the weekend and not following social distancing guidelines. Since the weekend, the county has closed all sports related courts at public parks in hopes that it will help reduce the amount of community spread cases in the county.

Gibbie started crying when she talked about doing modeling for the coronavirus. She said, “the numbers I’m seeing now is what’s keeping me up at night.” She went on to say that Mecklenburg County will need help from the state and federal government to fight the coronavirus.

Gibbie Harris #Mecklenburg #publichealth Doing modeling.

"Numbers I'm seeing now is what's keeping me up at night." Starts to cry.

We will need state/ fed help

#coronavirusNC #coronavirus #NCGA #NCPOL — NC Health News (@NCHealthNews) April 2, 2020

Mecklenburg County has opened hotels to help people who do not have homes to isolate. Right now, Harris said 68 people are staying in hotels and that all of those individuals but one are homeless. She went on to say that Mecklenburg County does have COVID-19 in their homeless population.

Harris believes Mecklenburg County has a decent amount of capacity at area hospitals for local residents but worries about people from other counties and states coming to Mecklenburg County for care.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The White House Projects 100,000 to 240,000 Deaths In U.S. From Coronavirus

The White House projects 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the United States from the coronavirus pandemic even if social distancing is maintained. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

LIVE: Press Briefing with Coronavirus Task Force https://t.co/CurosT0chF — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 31, 2020

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Signs Executive Order To Prohibit Utility Disconnections In Wake Of Coronavirus

RALEIGH, N.C. (News Release) — Governor Roy Cooper today announced another step to help families by prohibiting utilities from disconnecting people who are unable to pay during this pandemic. Today’s Order applies to electric, gas, water and wastewater services for the next 60 days.

The Order directs utilities to give residential customers at least six months to pay outstanding bills and prohibits them from collecting fees, penalties or interest for late payment.

Telecommunication companies that provide phone, cable and internet services are strongly urged to follow these same rules.

“This action is particularly important since tomorrow is the first of the month, and I know that’s a date many families fear when they can’t make ends meet,” said Governor Cooper. “These protections will help families stay in their homes and keep vital services like electricity, water, and communications going as we Stay at Home.”

Additionally, the Order encourages banks not to charge customers for overdraft fees, late fees and other penalties. Landlords are strongly encouraged in the Order to follow the spirit of Chief Justice Cheri Beasley’s Order and delay any evictions that are already entered in the court system.

Governor Cooper was joined by Attorney General Josh Stein to announce the order and he thanked companies that have already voluntarily announced policies to prevent shutoffs, including Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, AT&T, and local electric co-ops, among many others. Today’s Order follows the Governor’s Stay At Home order, which is in effect until April 29.

The Council of State concurred with the Order today.

Read the full Order here.

Read an FAQ about the Order here.

The NC Department of Revenue also announced expanded tax relief measures today, waiving penalties for late filing or payments of multiple state tax categories. Learn more about this tax relief here.

Make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and NCDHHS. For more information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus, which includes daily updates on positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina.