To further minimize all opportunities for exposure and transmission of COVID-19 across the jurisdiction, Buncombe County issued a “Stay Home – Stay Safe” Supplemental Declaration that went into effect Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 8 pm and has been extended indefinitely.

All current Buncombe County residents, including Woodfin, Black Mountain, Weaverville, Biltmore Forest, Montreat and Asheville citizens, are ordered to stay in place at their residence and to limit movements outside of their homes that are not deemed essential. 

Although the weather is getting nicer and we live in a beautiful place, PLEASE remember to not use that as a reason to gather with anyone outside of your household – That includes rafting, mountain biking and picnicking. Get fresh air and exercise but don’t forget social distancing measures!  Limit the number of people in a room, maintain a distance of 6 feet between one another, wash your hands, and reduce your exposure as much as possible! 

New details of the declaration were released April 8 in a public announcement by county officials: 

– Auto sales are now considered essential but have to be conducted by appointment.

• Services should be conducted remotely to the extent possible
• No more than 10 people can gather and six-foot social distancing must be observed
• No test drives are permitted unless expressly requested by the purchaser and vehicles have to be completely sanitized before and after each drive with documentation of the cleaning
• A vehicle can’t be driven again by a potential customer for 72 hours.

– Real estate agents can now conduct business.

• They follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines and local orders on physical distancing, hygiene and sanitation practices.

– Hotels, short term vacation rentals and other lodging must cancel all leisure travel reservations though current guests can stay.

• County residents and people on essential business can be customers, though the essential nature of the business must be documented by lodging operators.

– Weddings and funerals can happen

• Though only 10 people can attend, including officiants and staff – This overrides the state rule allowing 50 people
• Social distancing must be observed

KEY POINTS: 

• There is NO curfew
• All non-essential businesses must cease.
• Essential businesses must still comply with the social distancing guidelines; 6 feet apart and takeout, delivery and/or drive-through only.
• Essential Businesses must continue to comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by the Department of Health i.e. social distancing and sanitation practices.
• If you work in Buncombe County, then your business/employer must comply with this order.
• Workers at essential businesses will NOT be required to show any documentation of their employment as they travel to and from their jobs.
• Religious services must only meet via video or telecom; there must be less than 10 people at the establishment to perform the service.
• All elective medical procedures have been prohibited in Buncombe County.
• The houseless are exempt from this restriction – But are urged to find shelter.
• The county is NOT setting up checkpoints or roadblocks.
• Law enforcement response to violations of the statute are complaint-driven – If you would like to report a violation of the local statute, please do so on a NON-emergency line.
• If voluntary cooperation is not achieved, Buncombe County Law Enforcement is equipped to enforce these restrictions through citations or misdemeanor charges.

Buncombe County residents CAN:

• Go to the grocery and convenience store
• Go to the pharmacy to pick up medications and healthcare necessities
• Visit a health care facility for medical services that cannot be provided virtually (call first!)
• Go to a restaurant, for take-out, delivery, or drive-thru service only
• Care for or support a friend, family member, or pet
• Take a walk, ride your bike, hike, jog (as long as social distancing measures are maintained)
• Walk your pets and take them to the veterinarian
• Help others to get necessary supplies
• Receive deliveries from any business that delivers

Buncombe County residents CAN NOT: 

• Go out at all if they are sick
• Go to work, unless providing essential services
• Visit friends and family if there is no specific, urgent need
• Be closer than 6 feet from others if out in public
• Visit loved ones in the hospital, nursing home, skill nursing facilities, or other residential care facilities, except for limited exceptions as provided by the specific facility
• Travel, except for essential travel and activities.
• Engage in door-to-door solicitation
• Engage in public or private social gatherings (any amount of people)

Essential Activities: 

• For health and safety
• To get necessary supplies and services
• For outdoor activities (walking, hiking, golfing, running, cycling, using greenways)
• For work for essential businesses/operations
• To take care of others

Essential Travel:

• Any travel related to the provision of or access to essential activities, essential governmental functions, essential businesses and operations, or minimum basic operations.
• Travel to care for the elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons
• Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and other related services
• Travel to return to a place of residence from outside the jurisdiction
• Travel required by law enforcement or court order, including to transport children pursuant to a custody agreement
• Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the County. Individuals are strongly encouraged to verify that their transportation out of the County remains available and functional prior to commencing such travel

Essential Health Care Operations:

• Research and laboratory services
• Hospitals
• Walk-in-care health facilities
• Emergency veterinary and livestock services
• Eldercare
• Medical wholesale and distribution
• Home health care workers or aides for the elderly
• Doctor and emergency dental
• Nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate care facilities
• Medical supplies and equipment manufacturers and providers
• Blood drive and blood collection sites

Essential Infrastructure:

• Utilities including power generation, fuel supply and transmission
• Public water and wastewater
• Telecommunications and data centers
• Airports/airlines
• Transportation infrastructure such as roads, bus, rail, or for-hire vehicles, garages
• Hotels and places of accommodation 

Essential Manufacturing:

• Food processing, manufacturing agents, including all foods and beverages
• Chemicals
• Medical equipment/instruments
• Pharmaceuticals
• Sanitary products
• Telecommunications
• Microelectronics/semi-conductor
• Agriculture/farms
• Household paper products

Essential Retail:

• Grocery stores including all food and beverage stores
• Pharmacies
• Convenience stores
• Farmer’s markets
• Gas stations
• Restaurants/bars (but only for take-out/delivery)
• Hardware and building material stores
• Pawnshops

Essential Services:

• Trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal
• Mail and shipping services
• Credit unions
• House cleaning
• Babysitting
• Laundromats
• Building cleaning and maintenance
• Child care services
• Auto repair
• Warehouse/distribution and fulfillment
• Funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries
• Storage for essential businesses
• Animal shelters
• News Media
• Banks
• Insurance
• Payroll
• Accounting
• Notary public
• Services related to financial markets
• Logistics
• Technology support for online services
• Child care programs and services
• Government-owned or leased buildings
• Essential government services

Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations are also exempt from this declaration, including: 

• Homeless shelters and congregate care facilities
• Food banks
• Human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs; the care, protection, custody and oversight of individuals both in the community and in state-licensed residential facilities; those operating community shelters and other critical human services agencies providing direct care or support

Essential Services Necessary to Maintain the Safety, Sanitation and Essential Operations of Residences or Other Essential Businesses, including:

• Skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers and other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure, including public works, roads and bridges, or for emergency repair and safety purposes.
• Defense and national security-related operations supporting the U.S. Government or a contractor to the US government, to include the Defense Industry Base’s (DIB) Essential Critical Infrastructure
• Law enforcement
• Fire prevention and response
• Building code enforcement
• Security
• Emergency management and response
• Sanitation 
• General maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor
• Automotive repair
• Disinfection

The declaration will be regularly monitored and evaluated which may lead to revision, amendment or extension. 

To review the entire declaration click here.

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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 NC Department of Health and Human Services, there have been 2,585 lab-tested cases of COVID-19 in the state, as of 11 a.m. April 5.

In Buncombe County, officials released an updated case count of 31 residents diagnosed with the virus on April 2 at noon. There have been no new cases in visitors to Buncombe County.

As of April 3, the CDC suggests that cloth face coverings should be worn in any public setting where other social distancing measures may be difficult to maintain – like grocery stores, pharmacies and workplaces – to further prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The state has confirmed 31 deaths across NC, including one each in Cherokee County and Buncombe County.

According to the official state tally, 271 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized across North Carolina as of April 4. But that number only includes patients who have tested positive for the disease.

As of April 6, Asheville Sanitation has implemented the following precautions to protect City workers from potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus and to ensure continuity of regular curbside trash collection for the duration of the pandemic.

• Curbside trash and recycling collection will continue as scheduled.
  • All trash in green carts must be bagged.
  • All recycling in blue carts should remain loose and un-bagged.
• Brush collection will continue to be postponed. 
• Sanitation will continue to provide a limited collection of large piles with a claw truck in an effort to minimize obstructions. 
• Bulky trash collection will be limited to only large items that can be collected with the claw truck.
  • Bulky items must be placed in an area accessible to the claw truck.
  • Please avoid blocking sidewalks with refuse.
  • Please ensure that any containers, bags, or piles of brush are not obstructing sidewalks or traffic.
• Sanitation is unable to collect extra bags or boxes of loose trash material.
  • Households that are regularly generating more trash than can fit in one cart are asked to request an extra trash cart by calling 828-251-1122. 

Sign up for Sanitation service alerts at ashevillenc.gov/AVLcollects. Or download the AVL Collects app.

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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 NC Department of Health and Human Services, there have been 2,402 lab-tested cases of COVID-19 in the state, as of 11 a.m. April 4. That number was up 309 from the previous day’s count.

The state has confirmed 24 deaths across NC, including one each in Buncombe County. Another death in Henderson County that occurred on April 3 is not yet included in the count.

Only 12 of the state’s 100 counties are without confirmed cases COVID-19.

In Buncombe County, officials released an updated case count of 31 residents diagnosed with the virus on April 2 at noon. There have been no new cases in visitors to Buncombe County.

As of April 3, the CDC suggests that cloth face coverings should be worn in any public setting where other social distancing measures may be difficult to maintain – like grocery stores, pharmacies and workplaces – to further prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Reminders about the Stay Home-Stay Safe declaration:

Although the weather is getting nicer and we live in a beautiful place, PLEASE remember to not use that as a reason to gather with anyone outside of your household – That includes rafting, mountain biking and picnicking. Get fresh air and exercise but don’t forget social distancing measures!  Limit the number of people in a room, maintain a distance of 6 feet between one another, wash your hands, and reduce your exposure as much as possible! 

• It is a standing declaration effective until Thursday, April 9
• there is NO curfew
• Limit travel to essential travel only – At this time essential personnel and businesses do not need any credential or pass to be on the roads.
• Please remember social distancing measures when visiting essential businesses.
• Law enforcement response to violations of the statute are complaint-driven.
  • If you would like to report a violation of the local statue, please do so on a non-emergency line.
  • If voluntary cooperation is not achieved, Buncombe County Law Enforcement is equipped to enforce these restrictions through citations or misdemeanor charges.

Click here to review the declaration in more depth.

https://www.buncombecounty.org/countycenter/news-detail.aspx?id=18543

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The purpose of this language and messaging frameworks guide follows recent provocations of social stigma and discriminatory behaviors against people of certain ethnic backgrounds as well as anyone perceived to have been in contact with the virus. The intent of this guidance is to support Buncombe County’s commitment to equity and to aide in content development, which stands in alignment with Statewide COVID-19 response efforts guided by compassion and reason. Provided by Buncombe County Officials. 

Language/Messaging Frameworks to Avoid & Alternatives: 

DO – talk about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

DON’T – attach locations or ethnicity to the disease, this is not a “Wuhan Virus”, “Chinese Virus” or “Asian Virus”

• The official name for the disease was deliberately chosen to avoid stigmatization – the “co” stands for Corona, “vi” for virus and “d” for disease, 19 is because the disease emerged in 2019.

DO – talk about “people who have COVID-19”, “people who are being treated for COVID-19”, “people who are recovering from COVID-19” or “people who died after contracting COVID19”

DON’T – refer to people with the disease as “COVID-19 cases” or “victims”. 

DO – talk about “people who may have COVID-19” or “people who are presumptive for COVID-19”

DON’T – talk about “COVID-19 suspects” or “suspected cases”.

DO – talk about people “acquiring” or “contracting” COVID-19

DON’T – talk about people “transmitting COVID-19” “infecting others” or “spreading the virus” as it implies intentional transmission and assigns blame. 

• Using criminalizing or dehumanizing terminology creates the impression that those with the disease have somehow done something wrong or are less human than therest of us, feeding stigma, undermining empathy, and potentially fueling wider reluctance to seek treatment or attend screening, testing and quarantine.

DO – speak accurately about the risk from COVID-19, based on scientific data and latest official health advice.

DON’T – repeat or share unconfirmed rumors, and avoid using hyperbolic language designed to generate fear like “plague”, “apocalypse” etc.

DO – talk positively and emphasize the effectiveness of treatment measures.

• For most people, this is a disease they can overcome. 
• There are simple steps we can all take to keep ourselves, our loved ones and the most vulnerable safe.

DON’T – emphasize or dwell on the negative, or messages of threat. We need to work together to help keep those who are most vulnerable safe.

TERMS & LANGUAGE TO AVOID:

• “Wuhan Virus”
• “Chinese Virus” or “Asian Virus
• “COVID-19 cases” or “Victims”
• “Hot Zones”
• “Plague” or “Apocalypse”

ALTERNATIVES:

• COVID-19
• COVID-19 Level 2 or COVID-19 Level 3 w/ official Geographic Name
• “People who have COVID-19”; “People who are being treated for COVID-19”; “People who are recovering from COVID-19” or “People who died after contracting COVID19”

COVID-19 Terminology & Definitions – provided by Buncombe County officials:  

Active monitoring – means that the state or local public health authority assumes responsibility for establishing regular communication with potentially exposed people to assess for the presence of fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. 

• For people with high-risk exposures, CDC recommends this communication occurs at least once each day. The mode of communication can be determined by the state or local public health authority and may include telephone calls or any electronic or internet-based means of communication.

Asymptomatic – presenting no symptoms (CDC). 

Close Contact – 

• Being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time close contact can occur while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case.
• Have had direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being coughed on). 

Community Spread/Community Transmission/Community-Acquired Spread – Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected (CDC).

Confirmed – The patient meets all the criteria necessary to be considered a Patient Under Investigation (PUI), including signs, symptoms and travel history. 

• A lab sample was collected and tested by a CDC-qualified laboratory and the result is positive.

Congregate: The person has been relocated to any other congregate typesetting (e.g. long term care facility, public housing, university housing) administered by routine operating authorities. 

Congregate Settings – Crowded public places where close contact with others may occur, such as shopping centers, movie theaters, stadiums.

Coronavirus – A large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. 

• In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19 (WHO).

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) – The infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. 

• This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 (WHO).

Delegated Supervision – The local public health authority has delegated oversight to an appropriate occupational health or infection control program at a trusted organization (e.g. healthcare, higher education, corporation). 

• The delegated supervisor maintains coordination with the public health department of local jurisdiction.

Direct Medical – the person is under the direct continuous clinical care of a healthcare provider in a clinical setting (e.g. inpatient at a hospital or isolated to a government facility) established by the CDC with regards to travel history and/or close contact with a confirmed case, but the individual is not exhibiting any additional signs or symptoms consistent with infection.

Exposed – The person meets the criteria established by the CDC with regards to travel history and/or close contact with a confirmed case, but the individual is not exhibiting any additional signs or symptoms consistent with infection.

Involuntary – The person has been compelled by a court order to abide by legally enforceable directives issued under the authority of a relevant federal, state or local entity that, when applied to a person or group, may place restrictions on the activities undertaken by that person or group, potentially including movement restrictions or a requirement for monitoring by a public health authority, for the purposes of protecting the public’s health.

Isolation – The separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or compelled by federal, state, or local public health orders (CDC).

Laboratory Confirmed COVID-19 Case – Individuals with at least one respiratory specimen that tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 at a CDC laboratory (CDC).

Mitigation Strategies – Community actions designed to help keep people healthy, reduce exposures to COVID-19, and slow the spread of the disease such as social distancing (CDC).

Monitoring: A state or local public health authority establishes regular communication with a person or group of people who were potentially exposed to the virus by virtue of travel history to identified locations or close contact with confirmed cases. 

• The person is instructed to monitor for and report certain signs and symptoms of potential illness to the health authority. There are no movement restrictions applied to this individual.

Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) – Actions, apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine, that people and communities can take to help slow the spread of illnesses like pandemic influenza (flu). 

• NPIs are also known as community mitigation strategies. When a new flu virus spreads among people, causing illness worldwide, it is called pandemic flu. 
• Because a pandemic flu virus is new, the human population has little or no immunity against it. This allows the virus to spread quickly from person to person worldwide. NPIs are among the best ways of controlling pandemic flu when vaccines are not yet available (CDC).

Non-legal – The person is not subject to any legally enforceable directives. The person voluntarily agrees to adhere to non-binding guidance provided by public health or healthcare officials.

Novel Coronavirus – A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. 

• The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold (CDC).

Person Under Investigation (PUI) – A person under investigation is an ill person with possible novel coronavirus infection. 

• The number of PUIs who test positive and negative will be reported on the CDC and DOH website.

Person Under Public Health Supervision – People who may have had a COVID- 19 exposure because they were a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case or because they traveled from an affected geographic area. 

• They are instructed to self-monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days from the time of their exposure, and to report to the local health department if they develop symptoms of fever, cough or difficulty breathing. The CDC may change this definition as the situation evolves. (CDC)

Presumptive Positive – A presumptive positive case has tested positive by a public health laboratory and is pending confirmatory testing at CDC. (CDC)

Public Health Supervision – the person is monitored directly by local public health authorities, in-person or remotely, on a regular basis (e.g. daily).

Quarantine – the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease (CDC).

SARS-CoV-2 – The name of the virus that causes coronavirus disease, COVID-19. As the name indicates, the virus is related to the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003, however, it is not the same virus (CDC).

Self-monitoring with Delegated Supervision – for certain occupational groups (e.g., some health care or laboratory personnel, airline crew members), self-monitoring with oversight by the appropriate occupational health or infection control program in coordination with the health department of jurisdiction. 

• The occupational health or infection control personnel for the employing organization should establish points of contact between the organization, the self-monitoring personnel, and the local or state health departments with jurisdiction for the location where personnel will be during the self-monitoring period. 
• This communication should result in agreement on a plan for medical evaluation of personnel who develop fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during the self-monitoring period. 
• The plan should include instructions for notifying occupational health and the local public health authority, and transportation arrangements to a pre-designated hospital, if medically necessary, with advance notice if fever, cough, or difficulty breathing occur. 
• The supervising organization should remain in contact with personnel through the self-monitoring period to oversee self-monitoring activities.

Self-monitoring – People should monitor themselves for fever by taking their temperature twice a day and remain alert for a cough or difficulty breathing. 

• If they feel feverish or develop measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing during the self-monitoring period, they should self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a health care provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.

Self-observation – People should remain alert for subjective fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. 

• If they feel feverish or develop cough or difficulty breathing during the self-observation period, they should take their temperature, self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by telephone from a health care provider or their local health department to determine whether medical evaluation is needed.

Social distancing – remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding local public transportation (e.g., bus, subway, taxi, ride share), and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others.  

• If social distancing is recommended, presence in congregate settings or use of local public transportation should only occur with the approval of local or state health authorities (CDC).

Suspected – The patient meets all the criteria necessary to be considered a Patient Under Investigation, including signs, symptoms and travel history. 

• A lab sample was collected and sent to a CDC-qualified lab, but the results are still pending.

Treatment – A person is currently receiving active medical treatment for their COVID-19 symptoms and/or related complications.

Voluntary – The person has voluntarily agreed to comply with legally enforceable directives issued under the authority of a relevant federal, state, or local entity that, when applied to a person or group, may place restrictions on the activities undertaken by that person or group, potentially including movement restrictions or a requirement for monitoring by a public health authority, for the purposes of protecting the public’s health.

Source – World Health Organization – https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

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