Coronavirus Coverage

Hurricane Isaias accomplished what even Covid-19 couldn’t do:  delayed the start of the new academic year for students at year-round schools in New Hanover County.  Traditional schools are still slated to begin August 17th. 

Impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias remain in the Cape Fear Region, including the City of Wilmington. Natosha Tew is Wilmington's Emergency Management Coordinator. She spoke with WHQR about storm recovery efforts in the city. 

North Carolina’s Covid-19 trends are stabilizing.  It’s good news, according to state health officials – and it’s directly correlated with the statewide mask mandate.

WHQR has details on a new Executive Order effective Friday, July 31st.   

North Carolina set a record over the weekend for the highest number of new cases in a single day.  Health officials still describe the state’s coronavirus situation as a simmer, though, and not a boil.   

  Covid-19 continues to simmer in North Carolina, but has not yet boiled over.  Still, the numbers are not going down.

 Almost 4 out of 10 New Hanover County School teachers say they have personal issues that prevent them from working face-to-face with students. That’s according to a newly released survey by the school system. But as WHQR’s reports, New Hanover County has chosen to implement Governor Roy Cooper’s Plan B, which involves all staff returning in-person.   

It’s been a very busy year in the Cape Fear Region, and for WHQR Public Media.

This 18-minute audio compilation highlights the COVID-19 news coverage of WHQR from early March through June 30.

WHQR News is Rachel Lewis Hilburn, Katelyn Freund, Hannah Breisinger, Rachel Keith and Vince Winkel. Doc Jarden is acting News Director.

School will open for at least part-time in-person learning this year.  That’s the message from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.  Despite the continued spread of Covid-19, state officials say the science shows keeping kids completely out of school is more dangerous than risks from the virus.  

Before the Coronavirus, independent living facilities could seem like an adventure cruise – meals in an elegant dining room, loads of social activities, and friendly people.  But in the age of Covid-19, life inside a retirement community carries strict new protocols.

The number of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina continues to rise. Thursday afternoon Gov. Roy Cooper addressed both the increase, and the issue of schools reopening. 

The Downtown Alive initiative kicked off last night in Wilmington as sections of downtown were closed to traffic to allow restaurants and stores to expand on to sidewalks and streets. 

  Summer camps are beginning to open around the Cape Fear Region -- and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there’s a lower risk of catching the virus outdoors and no evidence that COVID-19 can spread through pools. WHQR visited some of our local camps -- and reports how they’re operating during the pandemic.

At his Covid-19 press conference on Wednesday, June 24th, Governor Roy Cooper announced his decision to extend Phase II restrictions and require mandatory masks in public places.

In early April, WHQR spoke with a Wilmington native working as an ER nurse on the frontlines of the pandemic. We recently followed up with Michael—that's not his real name—to see how life in the ER has changed. 

  Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth when you’re out in public.  That’s the message from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and other state officials watching the steady increase of Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.  But there is not yet a statewide mandate.

It’s been a tough year in the world of municipal finance -- with the pandemic making it difficult if not impossible to predict how the economic crisis will affect localities. Nonetheless, the Wilmington City Council will vote Tuesday, June 16 on whether or not to adopt its proposed 2020-2021 fiscal year budget.

For victims of domestic violence, recent stay-at-home orders make it more challenging to report abuse. And while it’s difficult to measure the impact of the pandemic on domestic abuse cases, WHQR reports New Hanover County is seeing an increase in some key indicators

Minorities in North Carolina are severely and disproportionately affected by Covid-19.  At his press conference Thursday, Governor Roy Cooper issued an Executive Order designed to address these inequities.