NC Coronavirus: Cases Rise To 255, State Increases Child Care

NORTH CAROLINA — Cases of coronavirus continue to rise across North Carolina, with Sunday's North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services showing 255 positive cases in 39 counties.

As of Sunday, there were 6,438 tests completed by the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health and reporting hospital and commercial laboratories.

In response, Gov. Roy Cooper has waived restrictions to increase access to caregivers to provide flexible child care and elder care during the coronavirus emergency. The order provides flexibility to local health departments working to adapt to the increased need for their resources.

Additionally, it provides for ways for Division of Motor Vehicles offices to enact social distancing protections, and waives some registration requirements to ensure resources can be delivered by truck throughout the state.

“Doctors, nurses, first responders and other critical personnel need to know their children are safe, so they can continue to respond during this time of crisis,” Cooper said. “And we’re loosening trucking requirements so important medicine and equipment can get quickly to the people in all 100 counties that need it.”

The order provides for the following provisions:

• Improve access to safe, flexible child care for first responders, emergency personnel, food preparers and others
• Transfer authority to local health departments to be more flexible with mandates during the crisis, so they can prioritize the most needed services
• Lifts some restrictions so that volunteers and other caregivers may care for children and elders during the crisis
• The transportation waiver includes provisions to:
• Allow DMV offices to ensure appropriate social distancing including requiring appointments and making sure offices have enough space for DMV customers
• Postpone DMV hearings that can reasonably be delayed during the crisis response
• Offers clarity around regulations so that critical supplies can get where they are needed throughout the state
• Waive Commercial Driver’s License requirements to ensure school buses can be utilized in responding to the crisis

SEE ALSO: Second Coronavirus Case Reported In Iredell County

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On Friday, the Town of Mooresville closed town hall and all town buildings effectively immediately.

The closures come as the number of presumptive positive cases of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, continue to increase in the Charlotte metro region and around the state.

As of Sunday morning, at least six Iredell County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, according to public health officials.

"Following the confirmation of an instance of community spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) by Governor Roy Cooper, and in order to continue to comply with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, the Town of Mooresville will close Town Hall and its Public Services Operation Center to the public beginning Friday at 5 p.m.," the town announced Friday afternoon.

Mooresville's town board meeting scheduled April 6, as well as the planning board meeting scheduled April 9 have also been cancelled.

"It is important that residents are allowed to have discourse with both boards, and due to the limitations placed on large gatherings at this time, the Town does not believe we could provide that opportunity," Town Manager Randy Hemann said in a statement.