NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – New Hanover County Public Health has been made aware of several residents being tested for COVID-19. Public Health will be monitoring each person identified as tested for the virus and will update the public immediately if any test comes back as positive. As of 1 p.m. on March 13, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Hanover County.
Consistent with state guidance, New Hanover County officials are updating guidance for the community to prevent the impact of COVID-19 in the area. A full overview of guidance for the community, including what you should be doing now and what you should do in the event of COVID-19 in our community, can be seen here.
This local guidance is based on mitigation guidance from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The case count in North Carolina has tripled in the last few days, and it’s evident that it is not a matter of if we see COVID-19 here, but when,” said Public Health Preparedness Coordinator Lisa Brown. “Several individuals have been tested in New Hanover County, and we are taking the steps to increase guidance and protective measures ahead of positive cases here to protect our residents, especially those at risk of serious illness. Globally, we see that strong actions early can limit the impact of the virus on the community and potentially reduce strain on the healthcare system. It will take all of us following this guidance to keep our area safe and healthy. Since yesterday we have seen a number of organizations make changes to their schedules and operations, and we commend their forward thinking and preparation. We hope this detailed guidance tailored for our community is helpful to our residents.”
COUNTY OPERATIONS & EVENTS
New Hanover County business will continue to operate, but several programs and services are impacted in order to help reduce risk to our community:
Two county government meetings scheduled for next week have also been canceled:
The NC Judicial Branch also announced today that, effective Monday, March 16, superior court and district court proceedings will be rescheduled for at least 30 days, with some exceptions. Additional information can be found here.
“As we heard from the Governor yesterday, the public is expected to follow this guidance, and we will follow as a county organization and make modifications necessary to protect the public and continue governance as we navigate this together,” said County Manager Chris Coudriet. “Unfortunately, our community is no stranger to emergency preparedness, but to our benefit I am confident we, as a community, are ahead of the curve and as prepared to respond as we can be.”
Visit Health.NHCgov.com/Coronavirus or CDC.gov for more information.
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