GREENSBORO, N.C. — 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.
MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020
6:15 p.m. - 15 traditional Guilford County high schools will honor the class of 2020 tonight, Monday, April 20 at 8:20 p.m. by turning on the stadium lights at their football stadiums for 20 minutes.
The lights at Simeon Stadium will be turned on in honor of Andrews and High Point Central high schools.
The district is also asking GCS families to turn on their porch lights in solidarity with the class of 2020 as well.
5:30 p.m. - WFMY News 2 spoke with Cone Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Jo Cagle.
Cagle said Cone Health has seen an increase in the number of coronavirus cases.
And said the hospital has been carefully monitoring how many patients they are admitting.
She said although the number of cases is increasing the hospital is easily managing them.
5:30 p.m. - White House coronavirus task force provided briefing.
President Donald Trump said at a time where millions of American workers and families are struggling with the financial consequences of the virus, it is critical to continue the medical war while reopening the economy in a safe and responsible fashion.
Trump highlighted the Paycheck Protection Program and said areas less affected by the coronavirus have been issued guidance as to how to safely resume elective medical treatments.
He said prior to today’s call with all 50 governors, a list of names, addresses and phone numbers to labs with additional testing capacity within their states was provided to each governor.
Trump said based on the low price of oil, the U.S. will be adding as much as 75 million barrels to strategic reserves.
3:35 p.m. - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will show support for 2020 graduates tonight as all High School football stadiums turn on their lights at 8:20 p.m.
They will be on for 20 minutes, in honor of the Class of 2020. We are asking communities to do the same with porch lights & other lights at home. #WSFCSClass0f2020
3:30 p.m. - Two new cases have been reported in Forsyth County.
The County’s total case count is 130, of the 130, 96 have recovered.
3:23 p.m. - Governor Roy Cooper today joined a call with the Vice President and governors from around the country.
Governor Cooper gave an update on what North Carolina is doing through its Testing Surge Workgroup to increase testing in North Carolina. In particular, the Governor highlighted efforts to diversify the supply chain for testing so that labs aren't all relying on the same supplies from the same vendors.
The Vice President was complimentary of North Carolina's efforts. Governor Cooper made clear that North Carolina still needs more supplies and personal protective equipment from the federal government.
"I appreciate the open lines of communication that North Carolina has with the White House. Right now, North Carolina has 14 labs able to test for COVID-19, but to continue increasing our testing numbers we need help from the federal government getting more testing supplies and personal protective equipment. More testing is necessary to be able to start lifting restrictions in a safe way."
2:30 p.m. - NC prisoners moved from one facility to another due to COVID-19 outbreak.
Due to the outbreak at one prison facility, the NC Division of Prisons temporarily suspended operations at another state prison facility and strategically transferred offenders in consultation with state health experts. To support operations at the coronavirus-impacted Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, Prisons moved offenders out of Johnston Correctional Institution and reassigned staff to Neuse CI.
A mass testing operation of the approximately 250 employees and 700 offenders at Neuse Correctional Institution has revealed a total of 13 staff and more than 330 offenders are infected with virus and 98 percent of those are asymptomatic. Another 197 test results are pending.
2:00 p.m. - Members of the state's coronavirus task force, including NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and NC Director of Emergency Management Mike Sprayberry provided an update.
The North Carolina coronavirus task force provided additional detail regarding the new program which will help families buy food for children impacted by school closings.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, families who children are eligible for free and reduced school lunch will receive $250 in benefits per child, families do not need to apply, and benefits will roll out soon.
NCDHHS said the additional food benefits will help more than 800,000 children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Director of Emergency Management Mike Sprayberry said more than 1,300 medical professionals have been cleared and are ready to work at North Carolina health care facilities.
Secretary Mandy Cohen said school nutrition and staff workers all throughout North Carolina have worked tirelessly to continue 1,000 sites which have provided over 11 million lunches.
1:45 p.m. - State leaders just announced a new EBT program to help families struggling to feed their children during the coronavirus pandemic. Families whose children are eligible for free or reduced school lunch will receive $250 through the Pandemic-EBT program.
12:00 p.m. - Guilford County Division of Public Health (GCDPH) is reporting 191 cases of COVID-19 in Guilford County. GCDPH has verified 13 deaths. The health department noted the number of cases may vary from what the NCDHHS is reporting at this time.
11:00 a.m. - NCDHHS is reporting 6,764 coronavirus cases in the state and 179 deaths.
8:00 a.m. - A High Point company is joining in the fight against coronavirus. Colonial LLC makes mattress displays but is now switching production to mask-making.
7:45 a.m. - Join our live conversation on our digital newscast AFTER GMS. Some North Carolina beaches have reopened. Should more do the same?
News to note on Monday:
- NASCAR with no fans? Five Republican state senators are asking North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to allow NASCAR races, without fans, next month at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In a normal year, NASCAR would run the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte track over Memorial Day.
- Model research shows North Carolina may be able to ease up on restrictions soon. The state reported 350 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of cases to nearly 6,500. The death toll increased from 164 to 172. Modeling released Friday by the University of Washington suggests that North Carolina may have reached its peak in the last few days and that social distancing could be relaxed as soon as May 11 if sufficient testing is conducted, large gatherings are limited and other provisions remain in effect. Other models are less optimistic.
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.
You can also text keyword VIRUS to WFMY News 2 at 336-379-5775 to find out more information.