Radio Active Kids April 11! The annual Frog Prince broadcast!

Throughout the wake of COVID-19 and practicing social distancing, information and resources will be posted here under “What You Need to Know: COVID-19 in Buncombe County”

According to the NCDHHS, as of 11 am on April 8, North Carolina tallies 3,426 lab-tested cases of COVID-19 – an increase of 205 from the previous day.  386 people with lab-tested COVID-19 are hospitalized statewide – an increase of 32 hospitalizations since April 6. There have 53 deaths across North Carolina – up 7 deaths since the April 6 report. (Deaths added to the count did not necessarily occur in the 23-hour period between reports.)

Buncombe County had a total of 33 confirmed cases of COV-19 as of April 6, according to the county’s website. There has been one death in the county due to the illness.

In a public announcement on April 8, Buncombe County officials extended its “Stay at Home” order – that was scheduled to end on April 9 – indefinitely and also gave new details that will loosen some rules, including those restricting real estate sales, landscaping and auto dealers.

The new order will begin at 6 am on April 9 and will remain in effect until “it is repealed, replaced or rescinded.”

To review some of the highlights click here. To review the new order in full, click here.

As the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 increases statewide, North Carolina’s emergency management director Mike Sprayberry has expressed the need for more medical volunteers.

According to a letter from NCDHHS Secretary, Dr. Mandy Cohen, they’re looking for medical volunteers with all requisite licenses who are willing to be deployed to the affected areas or facilities to provide patient care.

How to Volunteer:

Create a personal profile through the online portal at https://terms.ncem.org/TRS/

1. From the response profile page, click ‘join a team’
2. Select ESF8 (Public Health and Medical Services)
3. Select COVID 19 Medical Response Volunteers
4. Select the team you wish to join and click “request membership”

To cover workers comp and a small stipend, volunteers will be payed $15/hour.

Before you even begin thinking about volunteering, ask yourself – Am I well enough to volunteer? Please click this link to connect with some health and safety guidelines when it comes to volunteering. 

For more information on how you can help, click here.

The City government has signed off on an initiative spearheaded by Homeward Bound and several other community partners, that proposes using Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville as a shelter for about 50 people living in homelessness amid the coronavirus pandemic .

Officials greenlit the project on April 6 and by late afternoon on April 8, intake had already begun at the emergency shelter as men and women filed into the facility.

Before entering the facility, people were medically screened by volunteers with the Appalachian Mountain Community Health Center. Residents should expect daily check-ins on symptoms and can use outdoor spaces on the property, including a balcony.

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2020/04/08/coronavirus-nc-harrahs-cherokee-civic-center-house-homeless-asheville/2973426001/

On April 8, Governor Roy Cooper announced a texting service for parents who need food assistance for their children. Sites have been set up across the state for families with children ages 18 and younger, including preschool children, who rely on free and reduced-price meals at school.

To locate nearby free meal sites text FOODNC to 877-877 to locate nearby free meal sites. The texting service is also available in Spanish by texting COMIDA to 877-877.

After entering your address, you will receive a text with the location and serving times for nearby pick-up and drive-thru free meal sites while schools are closed.

You can also call 2-1-1 to speak with an operator who will help you locate meal sites in your community. The 2-1-1 service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Services are provided in English, Spanish and many other languages.

For more information and additional guidance on regulations and recommendations related to the health threat from COVID-19, please visit the NCDHHS website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus [ncdhhs.gov] and CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus [cdc.gov].

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In an attempt to further minimize all opportunities for exposure and transmission of COVID-19 across the jurisdiction, the following sites across WNC have been closed until further notice:

• All community and recreation centers – Including the WNC Nature Center 
• Lake Powhatan
• Bent Creek Road and the associated Ledford Branch trailhead 
• Azalea Park – Including John B. Lewis Soccer Complex and dog park
• Carrier Park – Including playground
• French Broad River Park – Including dog park
• Martin Luther King Jr. Park – Including playground
• Pack Square Park
• Pritchard Park
• Richmond Hill Park
• The Biltmore Estate has temporarily closed to the public –  Refunds for guests with tickets or reservations during the impacted time will be issued. 
• The Botanical Gardens at Asheville
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park areas – Except the Foothills Parkway and the Spur, on the far western Tennessee side of the park
• Carl Sandburg Home
• DuPont State Recreational Forest
• Half of the Black Mountain trailhead on U.S. 276
• One entrance to the Pisgah Ranger Station/Visitor Center on U.S. 276
• The lower portion of Avery Creek Road and associated designated roadside campsites.
• Coontree Recreation Area
• Looking Glass Falls Picnic Are – The falls are barricaded and parking on U.S. 276 will be limited.
• Pink Beds Recreation Area
• NF State Road 816 – At the Blue Ridge Parkway intersection at Black Balsam
• Rice Pinnacle trailhead – Bent Creek Experimental Forest
• Beaver Lake
• Gorges State Park
• Mount Mitchell State Park
• Chimney Rock – Chimney Rock State Park
• Max Patch – Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests
• Roan Mountain/Carvers Gap – Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests
• Lovers Leap – Pisgah National Forest
• Wayah Bald – Nantahala National Forest
• Cheoah Bald – Nantahala National Forest
• Laurel Falls – Cherokee National Forest
• Osborne Farm – Cherokee National Forest

At this point, the Blue Ridge Parkway and walking trails in the City parks remain open. Trailheads and parking areas will have signs posted warning of the closures.

If using trails, please practice social distancing, including maintaining a distance of 6 feet between one another, washing your hands, not engaging with individuals outside of your home and reducing your exposure as much as possible! And for your safety, limit high-risk activities – Law enforcement and search and rescue operations may be limited due to COVID-19!

Visit the NC Forest Service website for a complete list of closures that will be updated continually.

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