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Description
Buncombe County's COVID-19 Community Update for April 2, 2020. For more information about local efforts and news on COVID-19 you can visit buncombeready.org.
A
Good
afternoon
today's
date
is
April,
2nd
2020.
Today's
community
update
on
covin
19
in
Buncombe
County
includes
updates
from
dr.
Jennifer
mullendore
Buncombe
County
Medical
Director,
an
interim
public
health
director,
Eric
Barnes,
the
assistant
public
health,
emergency
preparedness,
director
and
I
will
follow
up
with
some
additional
updates
on
how
residents
in
our
community
can
assist
with
additional
needs.
A
B
Our
nursing
staff
are
actively
interviewing
six
individuals
with
lab,
confirmed,
covin,
19
and
we've
had
several
labs
come
in
this
morning,
and
I
want
people
to
know
that
these
labs,
many
of
these
labs,
were
collected
a
week
or
even
more
ago.
So
these
new
cases
don't
necessarily
mean
that
we're
seeing
a
spike
in
Kovan
19
activity
in
our
community.
At
this
moment,
our.
B
B
B
B
C
B
So
while
I
would
typically
open
the
door
and
see
my
son
and
give
him
a
big
hug
and
a
kiss.
The
first
thing,
I
do
now
is
say
hello
and
go
wash
my
hands
and
then
I
go
change.
My
clothes
and
I
put
on
clothes
that
are
my
household
clothes
clothes
that
I
only
wear
in
my
house
and
then
I
go
give
my
kid
a
hug
and
a
kiss
and
I
give
my
husband
a
kiss
I'm
trying
to
do
my
part
to
keep
them
safe.
B
B
B
It
remains
critically
important
at
this
time
that
we
avoid
gatherings
of
people
outside
our
immediate
household,
so
I
live
a
neighbor
in
a
neighborhood
in
Asheville
and
I
pay
attention
to
what
my
neighbors
are
doing
and
I
would
say
that
most
people
are
following
this
guidance.
I
see
couples
out
for
walks.
I
see
families
walking
their
dogs.
I,
don't
see
a
lot
of
people
congregating
with
people
outside
of
their
household
and.
B
B
B
B
So
again,
just
I
ask
people
to
see
what
you
can
do
to
stay
connected
to
people,
but
in
a
safe
way
a
non-physical
way,
and
if
you
develop
symptoms
of
cough
shortness
of
breath
or
fever,
which
would
be
a
temperature
of
100
point,
4
or
higher,
you
can
reach
out
to
your
medical
provider.
We
know
that
many
providers
in
our
area
have
switched
to
doing
telehealth
with
patients
so
either
over
the
phone
or
with
video,
and
so
take
advantage
of
that.
If
you
feel
that
you
need
to
reach
out
to
your
provider.
B
B
C
Good
afternoon
I'm
Eric
Barnes
I'm,
the
assistant
public
health,
emergency
preparedness
director
for
Buncombe
County
I've,
been
working
at
the
Buncombe
County
Health
Department
for
the
past
20
years
as
a
registered
environmental
health
specialist
moving
forward
I
will
be
assisting
our
public
health
preparedness
director
Fletcher
toe
with
these
briefings.
I
would
like
to
begin
this
afternoon
by
responding
to
some
questions
about
our
stay
home.
Stay
safe
declaration.
C
First
question:
people
are
concerned
about
checkpoints
and
being
stopped
to
prove
that
they
are
essential
employees
and
is
there
a
curfew?
In
effect,
there
is
no
curfew.
The
stay
home
stay
safe
declaration
is
a
standing
declaration
effective
until
Thursday
April,
9th
Buncombe
County
is
not
taking
any
actions
to
disrupt
transit
or
roads.
We
are
only
asking
people
to
limit
their
travel
to
essential
travel
only
at
this
time.
Essential
personnel
and
businesses
do
not
need
any
credential
or
pass
to
be
on
the
roads.
C
The
bottom
line
is
that,
if
you
don't
have
an
urgent
or
pressing
need
to
be
out,
you
need
to
be
at
home
next
question
what
about
in-person
auto
sales?
What
can
be
done
about
this,
and
how
are
we
enforcing
this?
This
is
an
area
in
which
our
local
orders
are
more
restrictive
than
the
governor's
in-person.
C
Auto
sales
are
non-essential
until
April,
9th
auto
dealerships
can
show
and
sell
vehicles
virtually,
and
they
make
closed
and
complete
paperwork
and
processing,
as
long
as
they
are
adherent
to
physical,
distancing
and
hygiene
guidance,
auto
repair
and
maintenance
are
essential
services.
If
an
auto
dealership
has
a
maintenance
and
service
line
on-site,
that
line
of
operations
may
continue
to
operate.
C
Law
enforcement
responds
to
violations
of
the
statute,
our
complaint
driven,
so
we
passed
this
concerns
along
to
them.
We
do
ask
that
anybody
reporting
a
violation
of
the
local
statute
do
so
on
non-emergency
lines.
We
don't
want
anyone
calling
9-1-1
for
these
purposes.
Law
enforcement
entities
will
enforce
the
order
through
education,
dialogue
and
seeking
voluntary
cooperation
for
all
residents
and
businesses.
C
Next
question
grocery
stores
that
are
not
taking
measures
to
enforce
social
distancing.
Are
we
doing
anything
to
enforce
social,
social,
distancing,
Guidance,
grocery
stores
and
basically
any
form
of
food
and
nutrition
delivery
are
considered
essential.
We
are
continuing
to
reach
out
to
grocery
stores,
with
our
latest
guidance
and
recommendations.
C
We
have
encouraged
them
to
consider
limiting
the
amount
of
people
allowed
in
their
stores
at
once,
as
well
as
to
mark
out
six
feet
intervals.
When
people
are
waiting
to
check
out
next
question,
how
are
we
enforcing
Airbnb
stays
over
the
last
few
weeks,
we
have
had
many
calls
with
local
business
groups
to
include
the
Asheville
Independent
Restaurant
Association,
Landis,
Kai
Chamber
of
Commerce,
and
explore
Asheville
to
push
guidance
and
answer.
C
One
final
question:
despite
lockdown
measures,
cases
elsewhere
have
been
surging
through
assisted
care
or
nursing
homes.
What
more
is
being
done
to
check
in
with
these
facilities
and
try
to
prohibit
spread?
We
are
very
aware
of
the
increased
risk
for
this
type
of
care
facilities,
where
the
entire
population
falls
into
our
high-risk
category.
C
For
months,
we
have
been
reaching
out
to
them
to
pass
the
latest
guidance
and
instruction
from
the
CDC
and
Public
Health.
We
have
dispatched
county
fire
marshals
to
all
of
these
facilities
to
personally
deliver
documents
and
provide
guidance.
We
constantly
update
our
planning
efforts
for
the
quickest
possible
response
to
any
indication
of
cases
at
one
of
these
facilities.
C
In
closing
today,
we
know
that
the
weather
will
be
nice
over
the
weekend,
but
please
do
not
use
this
as
a
reason
for
close
contact
with
anyone
outside
of
your
household.
Do
not
go
on
a
raft
with
six
people
who
are
not
in
your
house,
sold
or
load
up
in
the
truck
and
go
mountain
biking
with
several
of
your
friends,
get
some
fresh
air,
but
don't
be
fooled
into
a
false
sense
of
security.
C
A
A
In
addition
to
needs
for
personal
protective
equipment,
there
are
other
major
needs
for
cleaning
supplies,
particularly
bleach
wipes,
baby
items,
diapers
for
all
age
ranges
and
baby
wipes
personal
care
items
such
as
shampoo,
deodorant
and
feminine
care
products
and
non-perishable
food
items
especially
hand.
Foods
with
pop
tops.