►
Description
Community update on COVID-19 for Buncombe County on March 24, 2020.
A
A
Today
we
have
updates
from
dr.
jennifer
mullendore
the
Buncombe
County
interim
Public
Health
Director
and
medical
director,
Fletcher
tove
public
health
preparedness,
director
and
Tim
love,
Buncombe,
County
government,
intragovernmental
affairs
director.
We
have
compiled
questions
in
advance
of
this
briefing
from
the
media
and
we
have
made
efforts
to
address
them
during
this
community
update.
B
Good
afternoon,
as
of
this
time,
we've
been
notified
of
a
total
of
twelve
cases
of
kovat
19
in
Buncombe
County
residents
and
four
cases
and
out-of-state
travelers
to
our
County.
As
additional
lab
results
returned
from
tests
performed
over
the
last
several
days.
We
expect
the
case
count
to
continue
to
increase
Buncombe
county's
communicable
disease
staff,
continue
to
follow
the
standard,
Public
Health
process
of
contacting
each
individual
with
kovat
19,
informing
them
of
their
test
results
and
obtaining
information
on
their
close
contacts.
B
B
B
B
Therefore,
it
remains
important
that
every
one
of
us
does
our
part
to
protect
ourselves:
our
families,
our
friends,
our
co-workers
and
customers
and
our
entire
community.
Each
of
us
has
a
significant
role
to
play
in
changing
the
course
of
this
illness
in
our
community
I.
Thank
those
of
you
who
have
stepped
up
and
are
following
our
guidance
and
for
those
of
you
who
have
not
yet
gotten
on
board.
This
is
the
time
if
you
are
sick.
B
Please
stay
home
away
from
others
if
you
are
over
the
age
of
65
or
if
you
have
a
chronic
medical
condition
like
heart
disease
or
lung
disease
diabetes,
or
if
you
have
a
weakened
immune
system,
please
protect
yourself
and
stay
home
away
from
other
people
for
all
of
us,
even
if
we
feel
healthy.
Now
is
not
the
time
to
leave
our
homes
and
socialize
with
others.
Stay
home.
B
Pay
attention
to
your
health
every
day,
if
you
have
fever
and
cough
or
if
you
just
don't,
feel
well
stay
home,
it
doesn't
matter.
If
you
have
kovat
19
or
not,
we
don't
want
you
to
spread
your
germs
to
others,
wash
your
hands
frequently
with
soap
and
water
or
use
an
alcohol-based
hand
sanitizer,
and
continue
to
clean
and
disinfect
disinfect
surfaces
that
are
touched
frequently
and
objects
like
your
cell
phone
and
doorknobs.
C
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Fletcher.
Tov
welcome,
County
public
health,
emergency
preparedness,
director,
public
health
continues
to
evaluate
the
data
and
models
coming
in
from
experts
around
the
world.
Several
models
specific
to
North
Carolina
are
showing
that
our
small
window
for
having
the
greatest
impact
on
mitigating
the
spread
of
covin
19
is
coming
to
a
close.
C
C
C
C
The
fact
is,
this
is
a
new
threat.
We
don't
have
a
lot
of
data
relatively
speaking
and
we
are
continuing
to
fill
in
the
gaps
as
that
data
becomes
available.
We've
recently
seen
indications
that
in
United
States
younger
age
ranges
are
contracting.
The
disease
at
higher
rates
than
the
rest
of
the
world,
we're
seeing
indications
that
they're
very
young
infants
and
toddlers
may
be
more
susceptible
as
well.
C
C
You
may
think
that
you
can
make
it
through
okay,
but
you
need
to
understand
that
you're
also
putting
your
grandparents
at
risk
you're,
putting
somebody
else's
grandparents
at
risk,
you're
put
in
your
friend,
with
diabetes
at
risk
you're,
putting
your
co-worker
with
asthma
at
risk.
This
isn't
about
you.
This
is
about
our
community
as
a
whole.
C
Part
of
being
a
team
player
means
not
panic.
Buying
at
the
grocery
store
individuals
and
families
should
be
planning
for
continued
disruptions
to
our
normal
way
of
life.
That
means
buying
responsibly
not
excessively
make
a
determination
of
what's
your
household
needs
for
the
near
future,
and
by
that
don't
run
the
angles,
and
by
six
months
of
toilet
paper,
don't
buy
out
all
the
fresh
meat
to
throw
in
your
freezer.
C
C
C
One
is
asking
for
clarification
on
why
hotels
are
still
open
to
guests
and
restaurants
are
not,
and
what
were
these
guidelines
coming
from.
So
we
are
currently
evaluating
the
status
of
hotels
and
determine
the
best
way
forward
with
them,
as
we
put
together.
Our
stay
home
stay
safe
declaration,
there'll
be
further
guidance
issued
as
part
of
this
tomorrow,
and
it
may
also
include
re-evaluating
short-term
rentals,
such
as
Airbnb
s
as
we
formalize
those
decisions.
C
Another
question:
how
often
are
County
officials
get
in
together
to
discuss
the
current
situation
and
how
much
is
North,
Carolina
departments
of
Health
and
Human
Services
being
consulted,
so
County
leadership
and
elected
officials
are
getting
together
in
various
formats
multiple
times
a
day.
I
want
to
talk
about
how
our
EOC
Emergency,
Operations
Center
is
operating
and
what
our
daily
cycle
looks
like.
C
So
in
the
Emergency
Operations
Center
we
have
representatives
from
the
county
government,
the
city
government,
all
municipalities
and
we're
working
hand-in-hand
with
an
incredible
team
of
Public
Health
officials,
first
responders
and
emergency
services
personnel.
We
have
various
work
groups
and
strategies
strategy
sessions
all
day,
we're
absorbing
and
synthesizing
data
and
guidance
from
all
over
the
globe
and
from
leading
health
experts
to
inform
our
decision-making
process.
As
we
determine
our
local
response,
we're
reviewing
data
and
trends
from
places
such
as
Italy
and
United
Kingdom.
C
We're
having
daily
conference
calls
with
the
response
leaders
in
Washington
State
in
New,
York
State
we're
in
touch
with
our
counterparts
at
the
State
Emergency
Management,
Public,
Health
and
Department
of
Social
Services
and
education
departments
daily.
There's
an
incredible
amount
of
planning
coordination
and
work
happening
at
the
EOC
every
day
in
residents
of
Volcom
County
should
be
very
proud
of
the
response
and
work
being
done.
There
work
in
people
who
have
PPE
dropped
those
off
for
medical
use,
as
some
people
may
have
stockpile
them
and
no
longer
need
them.
C
So
we
are
currently
developing
a
procedure
for
the
community
to
turn
in
and
drop
off
unused
personal
protective
equipment
and
supplies,
and
we'll
share
that
process
as
it
becomes
available,
is
911
overloaded
with
calls
no,
fortunately
they're,
not
currently,
we
want
to
make
sure
it
stays
that
way.
So
during
these
times,
it's
imperative
that
we
minimize
non-essential
non-emergency
calls
to
911
for
emergencies.
C
If
you
have
general
questions
about
covin
19
or
need
to
be
screened
for
symptoms,
we
ask
that
you
first
check
the
Buncombe
County
website
and
the
North
Carolina
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
website
and
contact
your
medical
provider
by
phone.
You
can
also
utilize
the
state
kovat
19
koban
19
hotline
at
eight
six,
six,
four,
six,
two
three
eight
two
one
and
you
can
also
be
connected
to
various
community
resources
through
two
one,
one
and
finally
a
question
about
what
about
people
who
still
need
to
see
their
doctor.
C
So
there
are
many
people.
You
still
need
to
see
a
medical
provider
for
issues
not
related
to
kovat
19
and
there's
a
good
resource
to
find
out.
If
you
can
do
that
from
home-
and
we
want
to
share
that
with
you
right
now,
so
we're
promoting
Telus
American
Telemedicine
through
Mission
Hospital
and
their
mission
virtual
clinic,
as
there
are
many
illnesses
that
can
be
treated
virtually
without
a
visit
to
their
clinic.
C
So,
in
an
effort
to
minimize
people
having
to
leave
home
and
expose
themselves
and
others
to
contagious
illnesses,
we
want
to
pass
that
out
and
you
could
reach
their
mission
virtual
clinic
by
visiting
their
webpage
at
mission.
Health.Org,
that's
mission,
health,
dot,
o-r-g
and
you
don't
have
to
wait
till
you're
sick
to
create
an
account
and
get
started
there.
It's
an
effective
way
to
keep
in
patience.
You
may
be
at
risk
or
put
others
at
risk
at
home.
D
Good
afternoon
this
is
Tim
Love,
Buncombe,
County
government,
intergovernmental
affairs,
I
think
it
is
underscored
by
dr.
Mullen,
Doran
and
Fletch.
It's
obvious.
This
is
a
dynamic
situation.
It's
evolving
everyday.
We
hear
something
new,
but
what
I'm
sort
of
pleased
to
say
and
to
communicate
to
use
that
I've
seen
the
same
innovation
and
the
same
dynamic
response
in
our
community
through
our
business
community
through
those
that
are
employed
by
the
business
community.
We're
seeing
changes
to
the
way
we
normally
operate.
Face-To-Face
interactions
are
clearly
not
welcome
in
a
place
where
we
need
social
distancing.
D
So
we've
seen
innovative
responses
and
I
want
to
share
some
of
that
with
you
today,
and
examples
of
that
would
be
sort
of
the
virtual
town
halls
that
were
hosted
by
the
Asheville
area.
Chamber
of
Commerce
yesterday
kicked
off
the
first.
The
next
starts
this
afternoon
at
3
o'clock
and
then
there's
another
on
Thursday.
D
Our
first
session
had
approximately
300
folks
that
dialed
in
employers
across
our
community
I
was
very
real
questions
about
unemployment,
insurance,
1099
contractors,
the
best
way
to
clean
their
facilities,
but
we
had
a
virtual
way
of
interacting
sharing
guidance
in
real
time
and
also
having
a
sense
of
solidarity.
I
think
that's
super
important
in
these
times.
Where
we're
not
together
the
upcoming
sessions,
I
will
deal
with
lending
resources
that
are
available
to
businesses,
as
well
as
on
Thursday
I
will
see
discussion
on
emergency
planning
for
businesses.
D
D
This
is
the
type
of
action
that's
absolutely
necessary
in
this
type
of
crisis
and
we're
seeing
it
across
the
board
from
our
local
grocers
pharmacies
and
other
entities,
if
you're
unfamiliar
with
when
the
special
shopping
hours
are
for
your
local,
grocer
or
pharmacist,
you
can
once
again
check
the
Buncombe,
County
or
website
for
those
hours
dates
and
times,
additionally,
we're
seeing
an
outpour
of
local
businesses
and
employees
that
are
willing
to
lend
a
hand.
Not
everyone
has
financial
resources
at
this
time,
but
we
all
have
skills.
D
We
have
abilities,
and
some
of
us
have
time,
and
so
we've
seen
an
outpouring
of
local
manufacturers,
small
businesses
that
are
willing
to
chip
in
and
offer
their
services
to
create
PP&E
you
know,
do
we
need
masks?
Do
we
need
gowns?
The
answer
is
yes,
and
so
these
manufacturers
are
willing
to
help
us
in
general.
I'll
leave
you
with
just
a
simple
thought.
D
A
So
we
continue
to
hear
concerns
or
questions
about
the
state
case
counts
versus
our
local
case
counts
and
how
there's
some
difference
on
the
state
dashboard.
So
what
we'll
say
is
that
we
know
that
there's
a
significant
delay
and
how
they
are
the
numbers
coming
in
to
them
and
how
they're
populating
their
dashboards.
So
at
this
point
our
advice
to
media
partners
who
have
questions
about
that
is
to
check
with
us
for
those
up
most
up-to-date
case
counts.
A
So,
in
addition
to
the
information
provided
by
the
speakers
today,
we
will
be
posting
official
guidance
on
handling
take-out
packaging
and
feed
for
consumers
and
guidance
on
safe
cleaning
measures
for
businesses
on
our
website,
and
that
should
be
up
by
5:00
p.m.
today.
As
always,
we
encourage
our
community
to
find
accurate
information
on
covin
19
and
for
accurate
information
in
Buncombe
County
specific
to
Kovan
19.