►
From YouTube: Buncombe County COVID-19 Community Update (May 22, 2020)
Description
Buncombe County's COVID-19 Community Update for May 22, 2020.
A
Good
afternoon
and
welcome
to
the
May
22nd
community
update,
my
name
is
Stacie.
Wood
and
I
serve
as
a
public
information
officer
here
in
the
Emergency
Operations
Center
and
before
we
get
started
today,
I'd
like
to
acknowledge
and
thank
our
emergency
services
personnel
during
EMS
week.
Their
assistance
and
expertise
continues
to
be
a
huge
asset
to
Baucom
county's
code,
the
19
response.
A
This
community
update
is
available
in
Spanish
on
the
Buncombe
County
Health
and
Human
Services
Facebook
page,
and
that
can
be
found
on
Facebook
at
BC
HHS.
Today's
community
updates
will
come
from
dr.
Jennifer
mullendore,
the
Buncombe
County
medical
director,
an
interim
public
health
director,
browny
Newman,
chair
of
the
Buncombe
County
Board
of
Commissioners
Esther
Mannheimer,
mayor
of
Asheville
and
Fletch
welcome,
County
Public,
Health
preparedness
director,
and
we
will
get
started
with
dr.
Mullen
door.
B
B
B
B
Testing
each
of
these
days
will
run
from
1
to
4
p.m.
and
language
services
will
be
available.
We
ask
that
those
individuals
who
have
health
insurance
bring
their
insurance
card,
but
there
will
be
no
out-of-pocket
costs
for
any
individual
who
receives
testing
that
day
and
again.
These
dates
are
subject
to
change
depending
on
the
weather.
B
The
new
guidance
from
the
state
recommends
that
health
care
providers
ensure
that
the
following
individuals
or
populations
have
access
to
testing
would
be
anybody
who
have
symptoms,
suggesting
kovat,
19:00
and
again.
Those
symptoms
have
expanded
to
include
cough
shortness
of
breath
or
difficulty,
breathing,
beaver
sore
throat,
headache
chills
and
a
loss
of
a
new
loss
of
sense
of
smell
and
taste.
B
B
Health
care
workers
were
first
responders
and
frontline
and
essential
workers
and
settings
were
just
social
distancing.
Physical
distancing
is
difficult
to
maintain,
so
we
are
working
with
our
local
medical
community
to
make
sure
that
they
have
access
to
testing
supplies
if
they're
able
to
do
testing
in
their
own
offices
and
if
not,
that
they
know
where
they
can
refer
their
patients
to
for
testing.
B
B
So
if
the
wearer
of
the
mask
is
infected
with
kovat
19,
but
is
unaware
of
it,
you
could
spread
it
to
others.
We
want
to
make
sure
that
they're
wearing
that
mask
wearing
a
mask
is
or
a
cloth
face
covering,
is
not
a
replacement
for
practicing
physical,
distancing
or
for
practicing
hand,
hygiene,
and
if
we
do
all
these
things
together,
where
our
face
covering
keep
our
physical
distance
from
others
outside
our
immediate
household
and
wash
our
hands.
B
And
if
you
do
end
up
touching,
it
make
sure
to
wash
or
clean
your
hands
with
hand,
sanitizer
remove
your
face
covering
by
untying
it
or
lifting
it
from
the
ear
loops.
Without
touching
the
front
of
your
mask
or
your
face
and
again
you
want
to
wash
or
clean
your
hands
after
you
remove
it,
you
can
wash
and
you
should
wash
your
face
covering
with
soap
and
water
regularly
and
it's
fine
to
wash
it
in
the
washing
machine
with
other
clothes.
B
C
Good
afternoon,
before
I
make
a
statement
I'd
like
to
acknowledge
some
of
the
other
elected
officials
that
are
with
us
at
this
media
advisory,
County,
Commissioner,
Anthony,
Penland,
Jazmin,
Beach,
Ferrara,
Amanda
Edwards,
as
well
as
Sheriff
Quentin,
Miller,
Mayor,
Esther
manheimer,
who
will
hear
from
in
just
a
moment,
and
we
also
have
the
city
manager,
Deborah
Campbell
and
the
county
manager,
Avril,
Pender
and
and
as
well
as
County
Commissioner
Whitesides
with
us
today.
Thank
you
all
for
being
here.
C
C
This
is
an
environment
where
six-feet
social
distancing
alone
may
not
always
be
completely
effective
in
preventing
the
airborne
transmission
of
koban
19.
The
science
is
growing
that
indoor
environments
where
people
spend
a
prolonged
amount
of
time
are
most
conducive
to
the
transmission
of
this
disease.
C
C
Many
constituents
who
work
in
local
businesses
have
observed
over
the
past
a
month
that
people
who
have
traveled
to
our
area
from
outside
of
Western
North
Carolina,
wear
face
coverings
at
a
lower
rate
than
residents
of
Buncombe
County.
It
is
important
that
people
who
visit
our
area
take
the
practical
step
of
wearing
face
coverings
when
they
are
frequenting
our
local
businesses
to
protect
the
health
and
safety
of
our
workers
and
residents,
especially
since
many
who
have
COBIT
19
are
asymptomatic
and
do
not
know
they
have
it.
C
C
While
the
science
strongly
supports
the
public
benefits
of
wearing
a
face
covering,
while
in
a
crowded
indoor
environment,
we
know
it's
not
practical
or
necessary.
In
all
situations,
face
coverings
can
be
removed
when
people
are
in
restaurants,
while
they're
eating,
not
all
employees
will
necessarily
need
to
wear
them,
as
many
have
roles
that
involve
little
interaction
with
the
public
churches
and
other
houses
of
worship
are
exempt.
C
C
Mayor,
Esther,
manheimer
and
I
have
discussed
this
issue
extensively
over
the
last
week.
She
has
spoken
with
all
the
members
of
the
Asheville
City
Council
and
they
support
this
approach
as
well.
This
afternoon,
I
will
sign
a
local
order
to
adopt
the
face
covering
policy
and
other
aspects
of
the
Phase
two
policy.
C
D
Today,
the
city
of
Asheville
is
joining
the
state
and
the
county
and
moving
into
the
Phase
two
of
the
reopening
plan.
As
the
stay
at
home
order
is
lifted
and
people
return
to
public
spaces.
It
is
more
important
than
ever
to
follow.
Public
Health
guidelines,
the
three
WS
we're
wait
and
wash
our
continued
success
is
dependent
on
our
adherence
to
these
guidelines
to
decrease
the
risk
of
spreading
the
virus.
D
We
know
that
the
work
we
have
done
thus
far
has
led
us
to
this
point,
allowing
businesses
to
reopen
with
limited
capacity
allowing
us
to
gather
in
small
groups
and
allowing
the
opening
of
most
public
spaces
and
parks,
but
we
also
know
that
the
risks
remain.
This
virus
has
not
disappeared
before
we
imposed
along
with
the
state.
A
stay
at
home,
stay
safe
order,
a
nashville.
You
did
a
great
job
with
complying
with
that
order
now
that
the
restrictions
are
being
lifted
and
it
is
anticipated
that
folks
will
be
more
out
and
about.
D
D
Wearing
a
cloth
mask
is
an
effective
way
to
reduce
the
spread
of
Kovan
19
by
people
who
have
the
disease,
but
don't
know
it.
Yet.
This
is
a
simple
step
we
can
take
to
help
our
neighbors,
our
friends
and
our
family,
to
make
sure
our
community
is
safer.
Let's
continue
to
move
forward
and
work
together
to
slow
the
spread
of
Kovan
19.
Thank
you.
E
Good
afternoon
flood
stove,
buncombe
county
public
health,
emergency
preparedness
director
welcome
County,
will
be
entering
phase
two
of
reopening
today
at
5:00
p.m.
our
local
trends
and
metrics.
Although
not
ideal,
support
this
deliberate
and
measured
step
as
we
enter
phase,
two
is
important
for
everyone
to
understand
that
this
phased
approach
can
move
in
both
directions.
E
It's
an
adaptive
response.
This
means
that
later
in
the
year,
if
trends
or
metrics
are
unfavorable,
we
may
make
the
determination
to
move
us
back
a
phase
or
to
implement
enhanced
mitigation
measures.
Once
again,
please
do
not
be
dismissive
of
this
statement.
It
is
very
possible
that
later
in
the
year
we
may
need
to
reimplementation
x'.
E
E
E
E
E
E
First,
the
stay-at-home
order
will
be
lifted
as
we
move
to
a
safer
at
home
recommendation.
This
means
that
we
should
still
try
to
stay
out
of
public
areas
in
public
spaces
as
much
as
possible.
We
don't
have
pressing
needs
or
purposes,
but
is
now
just
a
recommendation.
No
longer
an
order,
mass
gathering
guidance
has
changed.
We
were
at
no
more
than
10
persons,
either
indoor
or
outdoors.
E
E
This
guidance
applies
more
to
social
events
such
as
group,
meetups,
hobby
groups
or
groups
of
friends,
and
getting
together
the
three
w's
still
apply,
so
you
should
wear
a
mask,
maintain
six
feet
of
physical
distancing
and
wash
your
hands
with
increased
frequency,
worship,
religious
and
spiritual
gatherings
to
include
weddings
and
funerals
and
other
First.
Amendment
activities
are
exempt
from
the
guidance
in
this
order.
However,
receptions
visitations
or
events
after
the
immediate
wedding
and
funeral
are
subject
to
mass
gathering
limits
of
ten
persons
indoors
or
25
persons.
Outdoors
and
again,
the
three
w's
are
strongly
encouraged.
E
E
Now
that
we
talked
about
where
Buncombe
County
will
deviate
from
the
state
guidance
for
leisure
travel,
lodging
and
booking
hotels,
motels
beds
and
breakfasts
and
short-term
rentals,
in-home
stays
in
campgrounds
may
now
book
and
schedule.
Leisure
travel
restriction,
reservations
with
no
restrictions
on
location,
the
occupancy
of
these
lodging
establishments.
If
establishment
has
greater
than
10
units,
they
are
limited
to
50%
capacity
establishments
with
10
units
or
fewer
may
book
up
to
100%
capacity.
E
All
lodging
establishments
must
wait.
24
hours
after
a
room
becomes
vacant
before
cleaning
and
disinfecting
and
the
cleaning
of
these
rooms
must
comply
with
the
gate,
guidance
outlined
and
exact
of
order.
141
organized
sporting
events
at
buncombe,
county
facilities
are
not
permitted
in
phase
2
and
we
are
aligning
with
the
states
guidance
for
restaurants,
with
the
exception
that
food
service
establishments
shall
not
allow
self
service
operations
to
customers.
E
E
To
close,
Kovan
19
is
still
a
highly
contagious
virus
present
in
our
community,
and
we
are
still
in
the
midst
of
a
global
pandemic.
We
know
without
a
doubt
that
this
reopening
will
result
in
more
positive
cases
and
more
deaths.
It
takes
all
of
us
working
together
to
minimize
these
consequences
to
the
greatest
extent
possible.
We
do
that
by
following
Public
Health
guidance
and
safeguarding
our
communities.
E
A
In
closing,
we
wanted
to
make
you
aware
of
an
important
event
on
Tuesday
of
next
week.
Next
week,
representatives
from
the
North
Carolina
Department
of
Public
Safety,
the
racial
justice
coalition
and
the
Buncombe
County
Sheriff's
Office
will
be
speaking
about
the
ways
that
Buncombe
Buncombe
justice
community
is
mobilizing
to
keep
inmates
and
court
goers
safe
during
coab
in
nineteen.
A
This
virtual
event
is
on
Tuesday
May
26th
from
1
to
2
p.m.
and
more
information
can
be
found
at
Buncombe,
ready
org.
We
will
provide
the
next
community
update
on
Wednesday
May
27th
at
2:30
p.m.
and
all
of
the
information
that
was
referenced
in
today's
community
update
can
be
found
at
Buncombe,
ready,
dot
work.
Thank
you
for
staying
engaged
and
let's
try
our
best
to
stay
safe
over
the
weekend.
Thank
you.