Questions about COVID-19 and the Coronavirus dominated last night’s New Hanover County Commissioners meeting. Health and emergency officials briefed Commissioners on the current situation.
There are no reports of anyone in the Cape Fear region having the virus. As for North Carolina, as of March 10 seven residents had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
County officials at Monday’s meeting were peppered with questions from commissioners on this health topic.
Lisa Brown is the Public Health Preparedness Coordinator for New Hanover County. She says in the event of the virus reaching the area the county is prepared, and it will be treated like any other serious health emergency.
“It's very similar, the planning process that you go through. It's just instead of talking through what are the concerns with a hurricane and what are the things that we're going to talk through and work together as a team one, we're talking about with a disease outbreak, what are those things that we'll work through? And so it's very much the same structure, the same partners and, and we met earlier today in fact, and had a large meeting with all of our partners to discuss these very things.”
She adds one more important piece of advice.
“One of the things we really want to get out to the public is if somebody is worried they have been exposed to Covid-19 we really want them to call ahead before they see their doctor. Not to just go to an urgent care or walk in clinic, but go ahead and make that phone call first.”
On another issue, the Commissioners voted in favor of giving Habitat for Humanity more than 14 acres off Castle Hayne Road to build a workforce housing subdivision.
Vince Winkel, WHQR News.
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NEW HANOVER COUNTY:
NHC CORONAVIRUS PAGE
TIPS ON STAYING HEALTHY