As cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to rise in Sampson and other counties, Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday afternoon issued a Stay-At-Home order for all of North Carolina, a state now considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to have “widespread transmission” — meaning people who have tested positive cannot trace where they were exposed to the virus.
The order, effective Monday, will extend for 30 days until April 29.
At a Friday news conference announcing the Stay-At-Home order, Cooper confirmed 763 cases in 60 counties throughout the state — and said those numbers continue to rise rapidly. He said the shelter in place order was the most recent effort in “our aggressive battle to slow the spread of COVID-19.” There were three deaths in North Carolina related to COVID-19 as of Friday.
In Sampson County, there had been 68 total COVID-19 tests performed as of Friday. Of those tests, one was positive, 26 were negative and 41 are still pending, according to figures provided by Sampson County officials.
Enforcement of the Stay-At-Home order in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties begins at 5 p.m. this Monday, March 30, but Cooper urged residents to start adhering to the order as soon as possible.
That order directs residents to stay home unless they need to leave for essentials, such as their job, food, medicine, outdoor exercise, or to help someone. It bans gatherings of more than 10 people and directs everyone to stay at least six feet away from each other. The order allows essential services to continue, and directs that those businesses that need to remain open use a strong social distancing policy.
“These are tough directives, but I need you to take them seriously,” Cooper stated in a Friday afternoon news conference. “I know this order may lead to even more hardship and heartache. Although we are physically apart, we must take this step together in spirit. Even if you don’t think you have to worry about yourself, consider our nurses, doctors, custodial staff and other hospital workers who will be stretched beyond their capacity if we are unable to slow the spread of this disease.”
The Sampson County Health Department, along with Sampson Regional Medical Center and private health practitioners, continues to follow protocols from the CDC and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) with regard to testing for the COVID-19 virus. This guidance was revised once the virus reached community-spread in North Carolina, meaning that officials cannot determine how or where patients are being infected with the disease.
The guidance limits testing and allows for the judicious use of limited testing kits and personal protective equipment.
Based upon guidance from NCDHHS and the CDC, the Sampson County Health Department performs contact tracing and monitors any positive case. Those with pending tests are directed to self-isolate. Persons with fever and respiratory symptoms, including those with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, should isolate themselves at least seven days after symptom onset and 72 hours after symptom resolution, which includes the absence of fever without the use of fever-reducing medication and improvement in respiratory symptoms.
Officials note that the testing numbers can be perceived as smaller than larger counties or jurisdictions, but are actually a reflection of private and public health agency compliance with restrictive testing protocols and the public’s embrace of preventative health precautions, such as social distancing.
“The public is to be commended for their compliance with federal and state orders and public health guidance,” stated Sampson’s Public Health Director Wanda Robinson. “You are keeping your healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed, allowing us to keep you safe, and we appreciate your willingness to become our partner in these efforts.”
On Friday, Cooper similarly lauded those who are taking measures to protect themselves and others. He said he knows it is difficult, but it is a necessary evil at this point in everyone’s everyday lives to combat the virus.
“Being apart from family and friends is difficult. The sounds of our lives — the school bell or the half-time buzzer — they’re gone. Losing your job or closing your business has to be painful,” the governor stated. “But we have to act now in the safest, smartest way when we have the chance to save lives. Even with the uncertainty of these times and the new pace of our lifestyles, we know that the good parts of our lives as North Carolinians will return. We fight this disease now so that we are better able to defeat it in the future.“
For more information about health recommendations and who is designated at high risk for becoming seriously ill, visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus.