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From YouTube: Buncombe County COVID-19 Update (April 9, 2020)
Description
Buncombe County's COVID-19 Update for April 9, 2020. Speakers at today's community update included Interim Health Director for Buncombe County Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Fletcher Tove, Kit Cramer from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, and Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. To learn more about local efforts concerning COVID-19 please visit https://www.buncombecounty.org/countycenter/news-detail.aspx?id=18543
A
A
Today's
community
updates
are
from
the
following
speakers:
dr.
Jennifer,
mullendore
Buncombe
County
in
term
Public
Health
Director
and
medical
director,
Fletcher
tove
Buncombe,
County,
Public,
Health
preparedness,
director
kit,
Kramer,
president
of
the
Asheville
area,
Chamber
of
Commerce
and
chair
of
the
one
Buncombe
fund,
an
Esther
Mannheimer
mayor
of
Asheville.
He
will
be
providing
updates
on
the
shelter
at
Harris,
Cherokee
Center.
B
B
B
B
B
B
C
But
this
will
end
we'll
get
through
this
together
and
get
to
a
point
where
we
can
start
relaxing
our
restrictions
and
opening
up
our
communities
again.
But
we
don't
know
when
that
will
be
right.
Now
we
can
look
at
data
and
we
can
look
at
models
and
come
up
with
general
dates.
But
the
truth
is
no
one
knows
the
specifics,
so
we
have
to
make
assessments
every
day.
C
C
Our
next
question,
some
greenways
and
parks
have
been
closed,
but
you're
also
encouraging
outdoor
exercise.
Can
you
explain
that
discrepancy
so
outdoor
activity
is
considered
essential
and
is
encouraged
both
for
exercise
and
for
mental
health
purposes,
but
you
still
must
abide
by
physical,
distancing
and
mass
gathering
orders.
C
C
C
Another
question
about
our
driving
worship
services,
so
religious
groups
may
now
conduct
drive-in
or
parking
lot
services.
This
was
a
previous
restriction
that
was
relaxed
as
of
this
morning
when
the
new
order
went
into
effect.
However,
the
leaders
of
these
services
are
responsible
for
ensuring
that
their
congregations
stay
inside
of
their
vehicles.
For
the
duration
of
their
time
spent
on
a
premises
and
observed
the
following
guidance:
only
individuals
from
a
single
household
should
be
in
each
vehicle.
C
All
visitors,
traveling
to
Buncombe
County
from
outside
the
state
of
North
Carolina
upon
arrival,
must
quarantine
for
14
days
at
their
place
of
residence
before
entering
the
community.
This
means
that
you
come
into
Buncombe
County
and
you
go
straight
to
your
residence.
You
don't
go
to
the
grocery
store.
You
don't
go
to
a
central
retail,
so
you
need
to
have
the
support
in
place
before
you
arrive
to
facilitate
this
quarantine,
you
need
to
have
a
plan
for
how
you
will
get
food
and
essentials
without
entering
the
community.
C
This
mandate
has
been
posted
at
the
Asheville
Regional
Airport
and
it
has
been
being
announced
as
flights
come
in.
It
has
also
been
passed
to
our
local
hotels
and
homestay
networks
via
Explorer
Asheville,
and
for
one
point
of
clarification,
this
mandate
for
visitors
does
not
apply
to
travelers
coming
into
the
county
on
essential
business,
which
leads
me
to
our
last
question.
For
today,
our
new
order
limits,
hotels,
motels
beds
and
breakfasts
short-term
rentals
to
only
make
reservations
for
essential
travelers.
C
Only
it
states
that
lodging
operators
must
document
the
essential
business
occupation
or
essential
function
of
any
visitors,
making
reservations
from
outside
the
county.
How
should
they
document
that
we've
been
working
very
closely
with
explore
Asheville
to
develop
a
standardized
form
for
documentation
for
the
essential
reasons
for
travel
for
these
visitors?
That
form
will
be
available
at
the
end
of
the
day
on
Asheville
CVB
com,
that's
Asheville,
c/v
b.com,
and
you
could
go
there
and
follow
the
links
to
the
kovat
19
resource
page.
D
D
Our
total
donations
as
of
this
morning
are
nine
hundred
and
forty-one
thousand
seven
hundred
and
sixty
three
dollars
roughly
sixty
thousand
dollars
short
of
our
1
million
dollar
goal
by
the
end
of
this
month.
As
of
today,
Buncombe
County,
Health
and
Human
Services,
which
administers
the
individual
grant
process,
has
received
two
thousand
fifty
applications
for
individual
assistance
of
those.
Seven
hundred
and
seventy-five
requests
have
been
processed
for
a
hundred
$38,000
and
approved
expensive
expenditures
to
341
people
of
those
who
have
received
grants.
D
70%
of
those
said
they
need.
Their
need
was
to
pay
for
housing
either
rent
or
mortgage
20%
said
they
needed
to
pay
utility
bills
and
6%
said
the
funds
would
be
used
for
car
payments
or
insurance
people
who
have
received
the
grants
live
across
Buncombe
County,
with
the
highest
percentages
being
in
the
following:
zip
codes
to
eight
eight
zero,
six,
which
is
west
of
Asheville.
It's
twenty,
two
percent
to
eight
eight
zero
for
north
of
Asheville
in
the
Woodfin
area,
is
14.5
percent
to
eight
eight
zero.
D
D
D
D
We
can
help
our
neighbors.
So
thanks
to
those
of
you
who
have
already
donated
at
one
Buncombe
dot
work
for
those
of
you
who
have
not
I'd.
Ask
you
if
you're
able
to
please
do
so,
one
Buncombe
dot.
Org
and
donate
today
any
amount,
helps
and
sharing
the
information
about
the
fund
with
friends
and
neighbors
is
also
very
helpful
to
us.
The
need
is
now
so.
Please
act
now
one
Buncombe
dot
work.
Thank
you.
E
Hello,
my
name
is
Esther
manheimer
I'm,
the
mayor
of
the
city
of
Asheville,
the
kovat
19
global
pandemic
has
far-reaching
impacts
in
all
parts
of
our
community.
There
are
so
many
unknowns
and
we
are
working
to
find
solutions
to
the
challenges
we
are
faced
with.
While
there
are
life
saving
reasons,
we
must
limit
our
physical
contact
with
each
other.
I
continue
to
be
amazed
at
the
resourcefulness,
professionalism
and
compassion
demonstrated
by
so
many
community
partners.
E
What
is
separating
us
is
also
bringing
us
together
in
unprecedented
ways.
Today,
I
am
sharing
an
important
example
of
how
we
have
come
together
to
serve
our
community
in
a
coordinated
effort.
The
city
of
Asheville,
Buncombe,
County,
homeward
bound
and
numerous
community
partners
organized
a
resource
for
individuals
without
homes
at
Harris,
Cherokee,
Center,
Asheville,
the
corona
virus
outbreak
represents
a
significant
health
risk
for
people
experiencing
homelessness,
people
living
unsheltered
or
more
likely
than
many
to
have
chronic
health
conditions.
E
The
shelter
will
not
operate
as
an
open
shelter,
but
will
house
the
most
vulnerable
population,
including
those
previously
identified
as
highly
at
risk.
The
shelter
operations
will
follow
all
CDC
recommendations
for
homeless
shelters
and
has
been
approved
by
health
inspectors
and
the
fire
marshal
for
this
temporary
use
run
by
the
homeward
bound
staff.
The
emergency
homeless,
shelter
began
the
intake
process
on
April
8th
yesterday,
applicants
were
screened
by
volunteer
health
professionals
before
being
admitted,
the
center
allows
for
staff
to
be
able
to
provide
food,
shelter,
medical
services
and
other
basic
needs
for
individuals.
E
E
The
creation
of
a
temporary
homeless
shelter
during
this
emergency
took
an
unprecedent
amount
of
teamwork
and
collaboration
with
many
people
and
organizations
across
the
community,
along
with
staff
from
the
city
of
Asheville
and
Buncombe
County.
Community
partners
include
the
following:
homeward:
bound
Asheville
poverty
initiative,
12
baskets
Haywood,
Street,
congregation,
UNC,
Asheville,
beloved
an
Appalachian
mountain
community
health
center
Dale
fell
VA,
Medical
Center.
E
A
Once
you're
there
select
the
in-kind
donations
button
where
you
will
be
prompted
to
fill
out
a
short
form
once
the
form
is
completed.
United
Way
of
Asheville
and
Buncombe
County
will
match
your
donation
to
a
community
organization.
Currently
dispensing
these
critical
supplies
throughout
our
community.