In 15 minutes @MeckCounty commissioners are scheduled to meet and shun out the public for an hour @wsoctv
This appears to be a blatant violation of the state’s open meetings law. The public has NO WAY of accessing this public meeting. The Government Center is locked down. The county is refusing to start the stream until commissioners finish their call with the governor #MeckBOCC
A security guard let @NickOchsnerWBTV and I into the Government Center. We are waiting for the public meeting to start. We are fighting for access for the public. Commissioners have not started the meeting yet and many are not happy we are here @wsoctv 
The county manager has ordered all commissioners to go to their offices to take the call from the Governor.
Commissioners are reentering room 267
The meeting has been called to order
Introductions took place. Commissioners did the pledge. Dunlap ordered the meeting into recess.
We are listening into Governor Cooper's call with commissioners. So far he went over his most recent executive order and thanked counties for their work
It appears some commissioners are listening to the call outside room 267, but no more than a few at a time so the open meetings law isn't broken
Dr Cohen tells commissioners 20% of people with COVID-19 need hospital care. She compares it to flu which has a 2% rate
Dr Cohen tells commissioners supplies continue to be a challenge.
We are told the county is now going to open the Chamber and allow media to have access to the 2:30 meeting like last week #MeckBOCC
Governor Roy Cooper tells commissioners a state legislative session will likely happen once they have an idea what the federal government is going to do
Gov Cooper says the state went from 3000 unemployment claims a week to over 100,000 claims
Gov Cooper says he expects money from Washington to make sure local governments have a balanced budget
NEW: Governor Cooper tells commissioners that county health directors have the authority to order shelter in place. He says they will work with counties if they issue shelter in place before a statewide order
A statewide shelter in place order is still being evaluated. He added...In order to slow the spread, "We are going to have to do some things that cause some pain for some people."
Call is over.
Commissioners are coming back into session
BREAKING: Mecklenburg County is ordering a stay at home proclamation @wsoctv
Mecklenburg’s order is being modeled after San Francisco and Illinois. It takes effect Thursday at 8 am and lasts until Midnight on April 16 @wsoctv
You can go to grocery store, pharmacy, restaurant for take out, go to the doctor and go outside to walk/ run/ exercise. You cannot go to work if it is not essential, you cannot visit a friend unless it is an urgent need, you cannot travel unless it is for essential activities
Essential businesses include (I couldn’t type them all fast enough)- grocery stores, pharmacy, doctors offices, media, financial institutions, mail, laundry, restaurants for consumption off premise, transportation, hotels, funeral services
Call 704-353-1926 for more info
Call 704-353-1926 for more info
NEW- Gibbie Harris says we have 142 cases of COVID-19. 80% percent of the cases are between 20-59. Two cases involve people under the age of 20. 1 in 5 cases are requiring hospitalization @wsoctv
COVID-19 is not transmitted through sex or IV drug use, Harris tells @SBHarden
Harris says the following zip codes have more than 7 cases- 28210, 28205, 28216 and 28269
Harris tells @hipolitix- “you need to assume people around you are infected.”
Diorio says the stay at home order will help ensure hospitals have the capacity they need
Mecklenburg’s order was signed by all the local mayors, the county commission chair, the county manager and city manager
The stay at home order has basically the same meaning as a “shelter in place” order. Emergency management says shelter in place terminology is for reserved for nuclear incidents
If people don’t follow the stay at home order, the county attorney says it is a misdemeanor violation
The county attorney says people can call the police to report people violating the stay at home order
The CEOs of Novant and Atrium wrote this letter to @DenaDiorio yesterday asking for a stay in home order. One day later, it is announced
“We won’t be America if we are not alive. We’ve got to take this seriously.” - @fullerfornc
The county is going to provide guidance on what you should do if an employer tells you to come to work and your business is not essential
Emergency management tells Commissioner Leake they are “short a number of supplies” They have been ordered and they are looking at buying some locally
No more than 10 people can be at a gathering, per @DenaDiorio. Funerals would need to have 10 or less people.
The funeral home business is allowed to still operate, but actual funerals can’t have more than 10 people
Veterinarians, Dentists, the Meck County recycling centers are staying open.
Playgrounds are prohibited- county is adjusting parks accordingly
Here is the 16 page stay at home order. I’m going to read and tweet it later in the evening. Meeting still going on mecknc.gov/news/Documents…
“We have to do something about the explosion in Mecklenburg County” - Commissioner @OnTheFrogSide
NEW- Commissioner @susanrodmcd’s husband has tested positive for COVID-19. She and he are remaining in isolation for at least another week. She says her husband feels good, no one in the family has any symptoms. He had a mild case and was traveling internationally
If you are working/ traveling to another state or county, travel is permitted if it is for an essential business.
Commissioner @susanrodmcd asks for the county to release zip codes of cases daily. Harris says it will be released at least twice a week
“The goal is to get rid of this. The goal is to get rid of this and then get back to normal. It is going to take some pain to do this.” - emergency management
#MeckBOCC is considering switching to virtual meetings after today
People experiencing homelessness are exempt from the stay at home order cc @HopeisLOUD
The county is leasing 3 hotels for people who are homeless, one is to ease crowding at the current shelters and to allow social distancing. It is full
Movers are exempt. A couple people asked me about this
Grab and go meal volunteer efforts are fine as long as the organizers social distance and people don’t consume on site
While people who are homeless are exempt, police will break them up if they gather in groups
Harris tells @SBHarden Meck County has had the most testing for COVID-19 in the state.
One hospital system is doing in house testing and is getting results back in a day or so. The other hospital system and other medical providers are using LabCorp and that is taking longer. About 3000 pending tests in Meck County per Harris.
Harris says they are working with one nursing home where an individual has been tested. Many other residents have respiratory issues
Church food pantries and bail bondsmen can still operate
"I pray to God this doesn't last forever. We are going through a phase. This is a Bible belt community so we pray it doesn't last forever." - Commissioner Leake
"The higher level of compliance we get, the shorter this proclamation will be." - @DenaDiorio
If you work in Union County, but live in Mecklenburg, if your business is not essential, you CANNOT go to work according to @DenaDiorio
"None of us take this decision lightly. It weighs heavy on my heart." - @vote4Dunlap
Dunlap says somebody else's actions will cause somebody else to die. "The sooner we get through this, the better we are."
#MeckBOCC is going into closed session to discuss legal issues related to COVID-19. A press conference is expected after this
