GREENSBORO, N.C. — Guilford County Commissioners are hoping to take action to slow the spread of coronavirus.
The Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on countywide restrictions in the next few days. The commissioners are putting final touches on legislation to enforce COVID-19 orders to curb violations.
"We're going to make sure that we don't have to have another shut down that's the last thing any of us need," said Skip Alston, Chair, Guilford County Board of Commissioners. Alston heads the county's COVID-19 task force.
The vote, which is set for the board's meeting on Wednesday, would see an ordinance that would merge all cities and towns for uniformity.
Alston said the measure is necessary because many businesses and their patrons are not adhering to the rules and guidelines as stipulated by both Governor Cooper's executive order and those implemented by local governments.
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"We don't want to put them in the ground, and we don't want to put the customers that patronize them, who are not wearing a mask and they're not social distancing and they catch coronavirus, we don't want to put them in the ground either," Alston said.
Alston said the situation for Guilford County is dire. The county along with Alamance counties is listed in the red zone under the state's new COVID-19 County Alert System.
It's among 20 in red, which means they are at a critical level for community spread.
The Health Department said there were more than 1000 active cases of COVID-19 in Guilford County. Of that number, 162 residents are currently hospitalized with a total of 670 the Triad Hospital Network.
Health officials blame holiday travels and a refusal to follow restrictions and wear masks.
"We do have some bad apples out here and we don't want those bad apples to upset the whole apple cart and have to cause us to have our infection rate increase and our businesses to possibly have to shut down," Alston said.
If approved, the ordinance will go into effect immediately, Wednesday night.
Language in the legislation is expected to call for fines against establishments for defying or not enforcing mask mandates or capacity limits on their premises.
Wednesday's vote will have two newly elected and sworn-in county commissioners.
"We do not want to have to fine any businesses, but we'll go further than that we want to educate our businesses and let them know what the rules are and also why we're doing it," said James Upchurch. The 25-year-old Upchurch is the commissioner who represents District 6.
"I'll be meeting with local colleges and meeting people of my age and demographic to spread the message to wear masks, wash their hands and keep 6 feet as much as possible," Upchurch said.
"The task force is going to play an important role and make sure that we as a community and taking the right steps," said Carley Cooke, the commissioner who represents District 5.
"To protect the people of Guilford County and keep everyone safe as possible and to stir us to the other side of this pandemic," Cooke said.
Commissioner Alston says he is working with cities and towns in the county on the ordinance. He added that the goal of the legislation is to prevent any reason to require a lockdown in the county which could lead to businesses being shut down again.
