WFMY News 2 is providing daily coronavirus updates with the latest information from emergency leaders, the state's task force, health departments, universities, school districts, and a lot more.
TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2020
6:30 p.m. - The Guilford County Sheriff's Office reports it will resume eviction notices on Friday, May 29, and Monday, June 1.
5:00 p.m. - Greensboro cancels its July 4 fireworks show due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It already canceled the Fun Fourth Festival.
“This type of event would likely draw thousands to our city and given public safety is of utmost importance, we will wait until it’s safer to bring people together for such an event,” said City Manager David Parrish. “Based on site options, and even asking residents to stay in their vehicles, we felt the risks were too great to proceed.”
4:45 p.m. - Surry County reports second death from COVID-19.
The Surry County Health and Nutrition Center is reporting the second COVID-19 associated death in Surry County.
The individual died on May 25, 2020 from complications associated with the virus. The patient was in their early nineties.
3:30 p.m. - The Guilford County Department of Public Health will hold two free COVID-19 community testing events in Greensboro.
Testing will only be done by appointment only and is for those who are at high-risk, call 336-641-7527.
COVID-19 testing events at Windsor Community Recreation Center:
- Thursday, May 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Friday, May 29 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
3 p.m. - Governor Roy Cooper responded both to President Trump's RNC threat and to the overcrowding at ACE Speedway.
Rewatch the full news conference:
The president is giving Gov. Roy Cooper a timeline for when he'd like an answer on if the state will commit to hosting the Republican National Convention.
"I picked North Carolina because I do love that state and it would have been a perfect place for it and it still would be," said President Trump, "But he's gotta say that you know, when thousands of people come to the arena that they'll be able to get in."
President Donald Trump's comments came just hours after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper addressed the situation during a news conference Tuesday.
Cooper said he won't stray from science and data to determine how many people can be in Spectrum Arena come August.
The governor said the state has asked the RNC to submit a plan to health officials. "We look forward to the back and forth on that," said Cooper, "We'd like to reach a resolution that everyone can be reasonable about."
Cooper's comments come after President Trump tweeted Monday threatening to move the RNC if Cooper can't guarantee the event continues with full attendance.
Gov. Roy Cooper responded to President Trump's comments on possibly pulling the Republican National Convention from North Carolina. Gov. Cooper said while political events like the RNC can be political, North Carolinian's 'health and safety cannot be.'
Gov. Cooper also addressed the races that took place at Ace Speedway in Alamance County. Most people in the crowd were seen not abiding by social distancing guidelines nor wearing masks.
"It's dangerous and reckless to attempt to draw a crowd," Gov. Cooper said, "We're deeply concerned about that kind of activity."
Ace Speedway has scheduled more races this weekend.
Noon - Mount Zion Baptist Church in Greensboro partnered with the Out of the Garden Project and Chick-fil-A to help feed people in need on Tuesday. The church gave out 800 free meals and free produce to families.
Noon - Seafood Destiny, located on W. Gate City Blvd in Greensboro, is giving away free food to Benjamin L. Smith High School and The Pointe College Prep Seniors from noon until 2 p.m. Graduates must wear their 2020 tassel and graduation cap to get a plate.
These are the two food options graduates will receive:
- The baked fish plate which includes one piece of grouper fish and a side of green beans and potatoes.
- The pasta plate which you can also add shrimp to.
11 a.m. - NCDHHS released COVID-19 numbers for Tuesday. New cases were down significantly but so were new tests that were reported for the day. Alamance County reported four more deaths.
- Total cases: 24,140
- New cases: 176
- Total tests: 352,331
- New tests: 3,503
- Percentage of positive cases: 6.85%
- Total deaths: 766 (up 12 from Monday)
- Guilford County: 1,092 cases, 53 deaths (1 new death)
- Forsyth County: 977 cases, 9 deaths (no change in deaths)
- Alamance County: 274 cases, 19 deaths (4 new deaths)
7:45 a.m. - Who should enforce new health guidelines? Law enforcement, health leaders, or does it come down to personal responsibility? Plus, a photo of fans at a football game during a pandemic in 1918 is going viral. Could it be the future of sports? Join the live conversation this morning on After GMS.
News to note:
- Gov. Cooper and members of the Coronavirus Task Force will hold a briefing on COVID-19 updates at 3 p.m. You can watch the live stream here.
- New data shows hospitalizations are slightly rising in our state after a brief dip before we entered phase one of the reopening plan. In the last seven days, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have stayed above 550.
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020
6:30 p.m. - WFMY's Tanya Rivera dives into how face masks are not required for restaurant employees.
Gov. Roy Cooper's Executive Order strongly suggests restaurant employees wear masks, but they are not required.
11:05 a.m. - NCDHHS releases the latest coronavirus data for Monday. Here's a look at the numbers.
- 742 news cases were reported, which is more than Sunday's one-day increase, but not as high of a jump in cases as we saw on Saturday.
- Total cases: 23,964
- Total tests: 344,690
- Total deaths: 754
- Percentage of positive cases: 6.9% (North Carolina has been around 7% for percent of total cases over total tests, so this shows we are steadily flattening the curve.)
- Guilford: 1,073 cases, 52 deaths -- Guilford County added 24 new cases to its total but no deaths were reported.
- Forsyth: 969 cases, 9 deaths -- Forsyth County added 49 new cases to its total but no deaths were reported.
- Alamance: 275 cases, 15 deaths -- Alamance County reported 14 new cases and two more deaths.
11 a.m. - ReOpen NC holds Memorial Day protest in across North Carolina. Watch the Greensboro march live here.
ReOpen NC Memorial Day Rally - Greensboro, NC
8 a.m. - President Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention out of Charlotte over Gov. Cooper's COVID-19 restrictions.
In a Twitter thread Monday morning, the president said if certain restrictions were not lifted in North Carolina, he would look for other venues to hold the RNC.
News to note:
- On Memorial Day, several gym owners plan to speak at a ReOpen NC rally in Raleigh to voice their concerns about not being able to reopen during phase 2. Then on Tuesday, gym owners say their attorney will file a legal complaint pushing for an order to allow facilities to temporarily reopen.
- A "Freedom" rally is set to take place at 11 a.m. Monday at the Governmental Plaza in downtown Greensboro. Protesters will demand the state fully reopen during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as part of the "Reopen NC" movement. This rally is one of five happening across the state.
RELATED: 'We want permission to reopen': NC gym owner says attorney is set to file legal complaint on Tuesday
FACTS NOT FEAR
Remember facts, not fear when talking about the coronavirus. You should take the same measures recommended by health leaders to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses. That means washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, and covering coughs and sneezes.
WHERE YOU GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IS IMPORTANT
It is important to make sure the information you are getting about the coronavirus is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and NCDHHS. Be careful not to spread misinformation about coronavirus on social media.
NC CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE
The state also has a special hotline set up where you can call 866-462-3821 for more information on the coronavirus. You can also submit questions online at ncpoisoncontrol.org or select chat to talk with someone about the virus.
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