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Description
Buncombe County’s COVID-19 Community Update for August 6, 2020.
Speakers scheduled today are:
• Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Buncombe County Medical Director
• Stacie Saunders, Buncombe County Health Director
• Brownie Newman, Chairman – Board of Commissioners
• Fletch Tove – Emergency Preparedness Director
B
B
B
We
protect
our
community
through
providing
access
to
testing
sites
where
you
can
receive
testing.
If
you
are
exhibiting
symptoms
or
may
have
been
exposed
to
covid19
us
to
identify
new
cases
so
that
we
may
protect
others
by
reducing
potential
exposure
and
we
promote
strategies
that
aim
to
stop
the
spread
of
covet
19..
B
B
I
look
forward
to
serving
as
the
public
health
director
here
in
buncombe
county
and
I
also
look
forward
to
advancing
health
safety
and
opportunity
in
our
communities
before
I
turn
it
over
to
dr
jennifer
mullendore.
I
want
to
recognize
and
acknowledge
her
hard
work
and
dedication
in
serving
as
our
interim
health
director.
B
I
feel
very
fortunate
to
be
able
to
draw
upon
their
knowledge
and
deep
experience
here
in
buncombe
county,
and
I
look
forward
to
continuing
our
work
together
in
public
health
and
in
this
covid19
response,
and
now
dr
mullendore
will
provide
an
update
on
case
counts
and
trends
in
buncombe
county.
Thank
you.
C
This
has
occurred
at
the
same
time
that
there
has
been
significant
improvement
in
the
time
it
takes
for
lab
results
to
return
as
of
noon.
Today
there
have
been
1776
lab,
confirmed
cases
of
covid19
and
buncombe
county
residents.
Sadly,
46
funcom
county
residents
have
died
as
a
result
of
their
covid19
infections.
C
Another
trend
we
have
been
following
has
been
the
percent
of
tests
that
come
back
positive
for
covid19
in
north
carolina
as
a
whole.
At
this
time,
nine
percent
of
coven
19
tests
performed
are
coming
back.
Positive
percentage
for
the
state
has
ranged
from
seven
to
ten
percent
over
the
past
month
in
buncombe
county.
C
Please
do
everything
you
can
to
limit
your
exposure
to
others
outside
your
household
and
practice.
The
three
w's
when
you
must
be
out
in
public
around
others,
wear
a
face
covering
wait,
six
feet
apart
from
others
and
wash
your
hands.
Often
our
public
health
staff
are
working
hard
on
case
investigation,
contact,
tracing
and
answering
questions
from
the
public
businesses
and
schools
about
covid19.
C
You
now
can
also
schedule
an
appointment
at
one
of
the
county
community
testing
sites,
starting
this
sunday
august
9th
buncombe,
county's
covid19,
community
testing
resumes
for
anyone
who
lives,
works
or
learns
in
buncombe
county
and
meets
the
criteria
for
testing
in
a
major
change
from
the
previous
testing
sites.
People
will
now
need
to
be
registered
and
scheduled
for
testing
in
advance.
C
C
C
You
can
do
this
by
wearing
your
face,
covering
staying
at
home
as
much
as
possible
and
not
participating
in
activities
that
put
you
and
your
family
at
risk.
Again
we're
providing
this
information
to
you
to
help.
You
take
actions
to
protect
yourself
and
your
health.
Please
do
what
you
can
to
stay
safe
and
keep
others
safe.
D
D
D
D
However,
our
public
health
staff
will
report
back
next
week
if
there
is
widespread
disregard
for
the
public
safety
policies.
Despite
increased
enforcement
efforts,
they
may
not
have
a
choice
but
to
recommend
restricting
the
sale
of
alcohol
in
restaurants
later
in
the
evenings,
as
some
other
north
carolina
jurisdictions
have
already
done.
D
D
E
E
There
is
an
allowance
that
if
a
client
has
documentation
from
a
health
care
provider
or
medical
professional,
that
they
require
physical
therapy
or
exercise
that
the
gym
may
allow
them
to
use
their
facilities.
Gyms
and
gym
owners
are
required
to
verify
that
these
clients
have
signed
letters
from
their
doctor.
E
E
We
have
received
reports
of
several
restaurants
who
are
not
in
compliance
with
state
and
local
orders
and
are
essentially
operating
as
bars
at
night,
which
are
expressly
closed
due
to
the
governor's
orders,
restaurants
and
breweries.
If
they
do
not
follow
this
guidance,
have
the
potential
to
become
an
ideal
setting
for
the
transmission
of
covid19.
E
E
This
team
will
consist
of
members
of
public
health,
the
sheriff's
department
and
asheville
police
department,
county
and
city
fire
marshals,
alcohol
law
enforcement,
the
ale
and
asheville
independent
restaurants
air
over
the
next
week.
This
team
will
spot
check,
area,
restaurants
and
gyms
for
compliance
and
will
issue
warnings
and
citations.
E
E
E
E
E
A
Thank
you
to
all
of
our
presenters
today
and
thank
you
for
tuning
in
to
the
community
update.
We
will
be
back
with
the
next
community
update
next
thursday
august
13th
at
3
p.m.
We
are
reducing
our
community
updates
starting
next
week
to
just
one
community
update
per
week.
There
will
no
longer
be
a
press
release
sent
out
on
mondays
unless
there
is
something
notable
that
happens
over
the
weekend,
that
we
need
to
update
our
community
on
so
again,
we'll
be
back
next
thursday
at
3
p.m.