On Thursday, Aug. 6, Governor Roy Cooper extended the Phase 2 reopening plan until at least Sept. 11, a time frame during which the state’s universities, colleges and K-12 schools will be starting classes.
Cooper moved the state into Phase 2 on May 22, and this is the third time he has extended the orders which keep bars, gyms, entertainment venues and some other businesses closed. He has also imposed a state-wide order that no alcoholic beverages may be served after 11 p.m. although grocery stores and other retail venues may sell wine and beer after that. Restaurants, barber shops, salons and spas are restricted to 50 percent occupancy, masks are mandatory although there is little if any enforcement and people are urged to stay at home. Gatherings, including churches, are limited to 10 people.
There are some signs those measures are beginning to flatten the curve – lower daily increase in cases and a lower rate of positive testing results. However, on Tuesday the state reported 1,051 new cases statewide for a total of 137,895 cases and 2,204 deaths with 32 of those new deaths. There were 1,122 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday.
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Impact of COVID-19 on the Wake Forest Area
How much as the Coronavirus impacted our area? The dashboard of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services tracks the number of confirmed cases and deaths by zip code, not by city or town.
Our zip code 27587 (105 square miles with 53,078 people) has had 617 cases and 28 deaths from the virus as of Wednesday, Aug. 12. This equates to 83 cases per 10,000 residents which is below the average of 112 cases for Wake County as well as 126 for North Carolina. Tuesday there were 12,148 cases in Wake County and 175 deaths, as reported in The News & Observer.
However, deaths tell a different story. The 28 deaths are the sixth highest for any zip code in North Carolina. Locations with higher numbers of deaths include zips south of Greensboro, downtown Durham, Burlington, eastern Raleigh and Henderson. The most number of deaths in a zip code is 39.
The primary hotspot in Wake Forest has been the Hillside Nursing Center. They have had 75 cases and 19 deaths according to the DHHS dashboard. The number of deaths at that facility is the fifth highest among nursing homes in the state. Hillside trails The Laurels in Chatham, Peak Resources in Charlotte, Maple Grove Facility in Guilford County, and the Veterans Nursing Home in Fayetteville.
The picture is more positive for areas neighboring Wake Forest. Rolesville has recorded 45 cases and no deaths and Youngsville has had 145 cases and a single death.
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Watermelon drops
The campaign to bring large quantities of fresh produce to support our food distribution programs is underway. This is enabled by a partnership between the Society of St. Andrew and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Raleigh which extends to several urban and rural areas of North Carolina. The current focus is watermelons.
This initiative plans on six tractor-trailer size loads through mid-September coming from a farm in the Rocky Mount area. The scale is large – 250,000+ pounds for more than 20,000 watermelons.
The Wake Forest area will be a major beneficiary. At least 10 distribution programs are collaborating across Wake Forest, Rolesville and Youngsville. Our programs are expected to receive about 2500 watermelons weighing 30,000 pounds in six weeks. Wake Forest is looking at hosting one of the events as is Rolesville.
The initial drop for the watermelons will be on Friday, Aug. 14, at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary. Tri Area Ministry will load six pallets for our pantries. We shall use Tri Area Ministry as a central site for volunteers to unload the truck and transfer them to vehicles from the pantries and feeding sites. Strict social distancing guidelines will be used in both Cary and Wake Forest to ensure the safety of the volunteers.
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Changing programs for food distribution
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) continues to develop their plan to assist students and families in need now that the schools are back in session. The approach to have a combination of students partially in school and partially studying at home is complimented by the establishment of a virtual academy where students will completely remain at home to study.
Many of the WCPSS curbside distribution programs established after the virus hit in the spring will be discontinued on August 31. In addition, the interruption and likely reduction in the federal program for stimulus payments of $600 per week is likely to also increase demand for food.
As a result, North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Wake County Center, along with Wake County Human Services, are implementing a plan to enable food relief through the end of the year. This will request letters of interest from community and grassroot organizations to partner in establishing regional hubs as well as providing targeted resources in food insecure areas of the county including our northeastern area.
Funding will come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. There are three areas of focus:
o Regional food hubs – 10-15 locations across the county for families and individuals to pick up food and other resources 2-4 times a month. This will enable an area such as Wake Forest to store larger quantities of fresh produce, shelf stable products as well as other things such as hygiene items and PPE supplies. Our dozen pantries and distribution programs can then increase what is distributed to those in need.
o Enhanced food resources – provide healthy and culturally appropriate food to populations in particular need such as seniors and homebound residents including delivery mechanisms for those without ready access to transportation.
o Increased capacity for pantries and food banks – including augmented purchasing power for scarce types of food and investment in refrigerators and cool space to increase storage of perishable items. Tiredness and dizziness are common side effects of Ativan. Until you are used to how this drug affects you, you should be careful while driving or performing other tasks that require your full attention and concentration. Read more at http://hesca.net/ativan/. Also, to underwrite the cost of scarce foods such as meat, milk and eggs.
Contracts will be awarded in late August to enable implementation on September 1.
Several local organizations are considering submitting letters of interest for the grants.
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