GREENSBORO, N.C. — WFMY News 2 is providing coronavirus updates with the latest information from emergency leaders, the state's task force, health departments, universities, school districts and a lot more.
CLOSINGS/DELAYS
Schools, businesses and organizations are already announcing closings. Get the latest list of closings and delays, right here.
You can also text keyword CLOSINGS to 336-379-5775 to get it even faster to your phone.
NC CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE
For immediate questions call the North Carolina Coronavirus Hotline at 866-462-3821. You can also text the keyword VIRUS to 336-379-5775 for this information.
CORONAVIRUS BLOG
SATURDAY, March 14
8:30 p.m. - Grandfather Mountain announces they will close for two weeks, effective Sunday, March 15.
5:12 p.m. - Guilford County Schools to hold press conference in response to Gov. Roy Cooper's order to close NC schools.
4:35 p.m. - Gov. Roy Cooper made the executive order to close all public schools in North Carolina.
4:30 p.m. - Gov. Roy Cooper set to speak along with health and education leaders on COVID-19 at 4:30 p.m.
3:25 p.m. - WFMY News 2 stopped by Subway on Battleground Avenue in Greensboro and found a note which asks all customers to request a new cup each time they choose to refill their drinks, amid the coronavirus outbreak.
3:18 p.m. - Gov. Roy Cooper, along with health and education leaders, to share an update on COVID-19 at 4:30 p.m.
3:06 p.m. - Greensboro Day School is moving to a Level 3 Pandemic Response and will remain at this level through Friday, April 3. Greensboro Day School says it will transition to their distance learning plan for two weeks following spring break.
Level 3: Campus is open to employees only
- Distance learning plan will go into effect
- Employees are working on-site
- Social distancing measures applied for employees
12:05 p.m. - Harris Teeter announced that it will begin closing its stores at 9 p.m. Sunday, March 15 so the store can focus on cleaning and the replenishment of products.
12:00 p.m. - The president says he has taken the coronavirus test and expects the results to come back in a day or two.
11:30 a.m. - Beginning March 14, all Publix locations will close at 8 p.m. nightly until further notice. The early closure time the store says is “to better serve our customers, give our store teams time to conduct additional preventive sanitation and restock product on shelves.”
11:00 a.m. - The NC Department of Health and Human Services currently lists 23 cases on its website tracking coronavirus cases in the state, in an update published Saturday morning.
Friday, March 13
11 p.m. - The Guilford County Courthouse postponed all matters, trials, and motions scheduled for March 16th through April 13th.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge John O. Craig, III and Chief District Court Judge Teresa H. Vincent signed the administrative order on Friday that will take effect on Monday, March 16th.
Unless there is an emergency situation for Guilford County Superior Civil Court, "all matters, trials and motions, currently scheduled to be heard from Monday, March 16th through Monday, April 13th in Superior Court will be postponed," according to a press release.
"If you believe your matter falls under an emergency circumstance, such as requesting a Civil Temporary Restraining Order, please contact Brittany Robinson (Greensboro) at brittany.r.robinson@nccourts.org or Wendy Stuart (High Point) wendy.j.stuart@nccourts.org for direction and scheduling concerns."
9:15 p.m. - Another person has tested presumptive positive for the coronavirus in Wake County according to, the Wake County Public Health Division.
Health leaders said it now brings the total to nine people who have tested positive in Wake County. It brings the state total of coronavirus disease cases to 16.
The case is related to the existing cluster of positive patients tested earlier this week from Biogen, a biotechnology company.
“We are working to quickly establish a timeline of their movements, so we can effectively identify places they visited and determine if anyone was at increased risk of exposure,” said Wake County Medical Director Dr. Kim McDonald. “We will reach out to those who came in close contact with this person to assess their condition and take appropriate next steps.”
7:45 p.m. - Mount Airy City Schools extends their spring break from March 16 to March 20. The school system will be closed for students and administer required teacher workdays from Tuesday, March 17 to Friday, March 20.
7:02 p.m. - Surry County Schools extends spring break from March 16 to March 20.
Due to the fact that the schools have been on spring break for the week and many families are traveling outside the state and out of the country, the schools decided to extend spring break out of an abundance of caution.
6:34 p.m. - Rockingham County declares a State of Emergency.
5:50 p.m. - Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan has declared a State of Emergency, in conjunction with Guilford County, to be effective at 5:30pm, Friday, March 13, in response to COVID-19.
5:30 p.m. - Guilford County declares a State of Emergency.
The declaration allows local government Emergency Planners to streamline administrative processes and be ready to receive state and federal assistance. You should follow any and all directives and recommendations set forth by the North Carolina Governor’s Office, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Guilford County Department of Public Health.
“While no one can clearly predict how this situation will continue to evolve, I am confident about our emergency preparedness plans and our staff and community stateholders are doing their best to protect our citizens," stated Guilford County Board of Commissioners Chairman, Jeff Phillips.
Check out more here, Guilford County
4:15 p.m. - As a health precaution due to the dynamic COVID-19 crisis, Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, will conduct its Sabbath services, 6:30 tonight, March 13, and 10:30 Saturday morning, March 14, as “touchless, spiritual” experiences at its Jefferson Road campus: No prayer books, Digital projection of prayers, Social distance seating in the sanctuary, Wrapped food for Friday evening Oneg Shabbat (reception following service)
For March 14 Shabbat Service, a Bar Mitzvah event, the touchless factor will prevail. For the Kiddush luncheon, buffet will be closely monitored to preclude any health risks.
4:00 p.m. - In response to directives from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and growing concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Wilkes County officials have canceled all mass gatherings of more than 100 people in Wilkes County through the end of April.
Therefore, MerleFest 2020 has been canceled. While this decision is disappointing for all of us, we fully support the directive from our county officials. The health, safety, and well-being of all involved with MerleFest is, and always will be, our primary concern.
3:30 p.m. - President Trump declared a national emergency over coronavirus.
3:00 p.m. - President Trump is moments away from giving an update on coronavirus. Watch live here.
2:10 p.m. - Old Salem Museums & Gardens will temporarily close to the public at the end of the day.
“At Old Salem Museums & Gardens, the health and wellbeing of our visitors, staff, and colleagues are our number one priority,” said Frank Vagnone, President and CEO in a news release. “Our museum colleagues, both in North Carolina and nationally, are taking similar steps to protect the public and limit the spread of the virus. We will continue to monitor this rapidly changing situation and provide you with regular updates as the situation evolves.”
1:45 p.m. - Winston-Salem's Novant Health announces 2 Novant Health Screening Centers open in the Triad. Novant says people who have no symptoms will not be tested, and says visiting a screening center unnecessarily will only further your risk of exposure. The list of screening centers can be found here.
1:00 p.m. - The Guilford County Schools Board of Education called an emergency meeting to discuss its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
12:20 p.m. - The City of Greensboro has modified its operating hours effective Monday, March 16, to Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the week of March 16-20.
12:20 p.m. - Greensboro Tournament Town Tradition has canceled its Member Meeting and Downtown Festival scheduled for March 14, as well as their Folk in the Park event scheduled for March 21.
12:20 p.m. - The Piedmont Triad Airport Authority announced the cancellation of Run on the Runway event scheduled for Saturday, March 28. The organization says the event will not be rescheduled.
12:00 p.m. - Greensboro Science Center announced they will be closing for a minimum of two weeks effective 5 p.m., Friday, March 13. The center will be closed through at least March 27.
11:30 a.m. - Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts released a list of events that are postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
11:00 a.m. - Cirque Du Soleil cancels shows in Greensboro that were scheduled for April 2-5. "All ticket buyers will be refunded and will be notified on how and when their refunds will be processed by their respective third-party ticketing company. Ticket buyers who bought their tickets through Ticketmaster will be issued an automatic refund onto the credit card used to purchase their tickets. No further action is required."
10:00 a.m. - A viewer shared a picture with us of long lines at the Costco on Wendover Avenue in Greensboro before the store opened.
7:30 a.m. - Northern Guilford High School and Gateway Education Center are both closed Friday, March 13th for cleaning, the school district confirmed to WFMY News 2.
6:00 a.m. - Northern Guilford High School is reporting via its website and Facebook page it will be closed for cleaning today out of an "abundance of caution." Gateway Education Center reported on its Facebook page it will be closed today for cleaning. We're working to get more details from Guilford County Schools officials. There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Guilford County, according to state health officials and the CDC.
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.
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