Governor Roy Cooper took action to provide more access to health care beds and get more medical workers to respond to the rising demand due the COVID-19 pandemic. He signed Executive Order No. 130, which to expands the pool of health care workers and orders essential childcare services for workers responding to the crisis.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has two new mental health resources to support North Carolinians throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper issued an Order that creates more flexibility in law enforcement training schedules during the state of emergency so that people training for new positions can pause their training and resume at a later date.
“Public health cannot be compromised in the efforts to fill much needed roles in law enforcement during the state of emergency. This Order offers training schedule flexibility during these unusual circumstances so that critical jobs do not go unfilled,” said Governor Cooper.
Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina has received approval from FEMA to provide housing alternatives, such as hotels, motels, and dormitories, for North Carolinians with unstable housing who may need to quarantine in response to or are at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is providing financial assistance to help essential workers afford child care and bonuses to child care teachers and staff who provide care during the COVID-19 crisis.
A collection of North Carolina experts today released a composite modeling forecast looking at how COVID-19 could affect North Carolina in the coming months. The models, constructed by experts from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, RTI International, and others reinforced the need for limiting personal contact to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that health care is there for people who need it.
Leading health scientists across public and private sectors will present information and answer questions at noon on Monday, April 6 on predictive modeling data studying the spread of COVID-19 in North Carolina.
At the request of Secretary Cohen, experts from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, Duke University, NoviSci, RTI International and the University of North Carolina worked together to develop North Carolina-Specific data to help guide the state’s response to COVID-19.
What: COVID-19 Media Availability
The North Carolina Division of Prisons this week enacted staff coronavirus medical screenings that include temperature checks at every prison, in an additional effort to reduce the chances the virus gets into a prison.
“These hardworking men and women in uniforms and medical scrubs report to work before the sun comes up or as the sun sets,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons.
Two offenders in the minimum custody unit at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro have tested positive for coronavirus.
They are the second and third offenders in the state prison system to test positive for the virus also known as COVID-19. The first offender to test positive, on April 1, is housed at the Caledonia Correctional Institution in Tillery.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D., Assistant Secretary of the Division of Employment Security Lockhart Taylor, Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee and Director of NC Emergency Management Mike Sprayberry will be available today for a dial-in media briefing at 2 p.m. regarding COVID-19. Please see below for details on how to join the call. A live stream video feed will be available from a pool camera.