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, MAY 4, 2020
10:00 p.m. - Guilford County Public Health announced it will offer COVID-19 community testing for those at high-risk.
Testing will begin on Tuesday, May 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and take place Monday through Friday following the first testing date.
Guilford County said testing will take place on UNCG’s campus and specific site information will be given once an appointment has been made.
The county said test results will be available after three days depending on lab capacity.
Those interested must schedule an appointment in advance by calling (336) 641-7527.
9:00 p.m. - Randolph County Schools to hold graduation ceremonies in July.
The school system shared the news via Twitter and said all graduation ceremonies will be held on July 25.
8:00 p.m. - Lowe's home improvement is now requiring its workers to wear masks.
7:00 p.m. - The Clemmons Farmers Market will open this Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Jerry Long Family YMCA located at 1150 S Peace Haven Road in Clemmons, NC.
In order to keep safety at the forefront of this market season, several guidelines are being implemented including:
- If anyone shows any signs of illness, they should not attend the market
- There will be no access to restrooms or any of the Y indoor facilities
- We will continue to offer preorders
- We recommend washing your hands before arriving and upon returning home from the market
- Please do not touch products. Vendors will bag the products for you
- No reusable bags allowed
- We encourage pre-orders and the use of credit cards for vendors that offer these services
- We ask that you respect a 6-foot distance between you and vendors or other customers
- Customers will be asked to remain in their vehicles if long lines begin to form
- Please make purchases and leave once completed
- We would encourage all vendors and customers to wear a face-covering or mask as recommended by the CDC
- Carry-In – Carry Out – please keep the area as pristine as you found it, by taking any trash with you.
- The Jerry Long YMCA campus is alcohol, dog, and tobacco-free.
5:15 p.m. - Four Seasons Town Centre has not announced re-opening plans at this time but released the following:
"Four Seasons Town Centre continues to follow the orders from Governor Cooper as it pertains to our operations. While we are awaiting new direction/guidance for North Carolina, we are developing our plans to safely reopen when appropriate. We will be implementing new measures to help ensure the health and safety for all who walk through our doors, including plentiful hand-sanitizing stations, touch-free interactions, frequent and intense cleanings, social distancing directions and reduced hours. We will share next steps with you on our reopening plans when we are ready to do so. We appreciate your understanding and support."
4:20 p.m. - UNC Charlotte pushes the fall semester opening date to two weeks later.
UNC Charlotte said after consultation with public health and UNC System officials, we have made the decision to begin our fall semester on Monday, September 7, two weeks after our previously scheduled start on August 24.
4:00 p.m. - Randolph County reports another death from COVID-19.
Randolph County Public Health said the death marks the fourth from COVID-19. The person who died had underlying health conditions.
11:30 a.m. - Governor Cooper signed two bipartisan bills that will provide a total of $1.5 billion in coronavirus relief funding across the state. Here's a breakdown of where the money is going. He also said he's hopeful we will be able to enter Phase 1 of the reopening plan this weekend. You can watch the full press conference here.
- The death toll is rising slower in many places, Cooper said.
- We're continuing to see progress on testing, tracing, and trends.
- Cooper said he hopes we will be able to enter Phase 1 of the reopening plan this weekend.
- Cooper signed two bi-partisan coronavirus relief bills that will provide $1.5 billion in emergency relief funding. The bills passed unanimously.
- The funding will help local governments, schools, hospitals, small businesses, unemployment, and more.
- Gov. Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Cohen said nursing homes and congregate living facilities will still be under strict guidelines throughout the entire reopening plan.
10:55 a.m.- NCDHHS reports 184 new cases of COVID-19 and 8 more deaths statewide bring the total to 11,848 confirmed coronavirus cases and 430 deaths.
9 a.m. - High Point University announced it will honor its Class of 2020 during a virtual Commencement ceremony that will take place on Saturday, May 9 at 9 a.m. The ceremony can be accessed here.
8:30 a.m. - Greensboro Pride announced the cancellation of the 2020 festival and parade due to coronavirus, according to an emailed release. The parade was scheduled for Saturday, June 27 and the festival was scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2020. Dates for 2021 are pending. Organizers said they plan to hold smaller events to celebrate Pride when the COVID-19 threat has gone down.
7:45 a.m. - Join our live conversation on After GMS. As the weather warms up and more people want to head to public outdoor spaces like beaches and parks, do you think we will be able to keep up the social distancing? We'll take a look at the latest coronavirus headlines and your forecast.
Monday news to note:
- Almost $1.6 billion will be spent on coronavirus recovery in North Carolina under a bill passed by the General Assembly on Saturday. Here's how the money will be broken down.
- The NCDHHS began showing coronavirus data based on zip codes. Here are some of the hotspots in the Triad.
- Sun Tan City in Greensboro's Friendly Center announced Saturday morning in a Facebook post that their tanning salon is now back open. WFMY News 2 called the salon on Sunday to learn more about their reopening, but we were told by an employee that no comment was available beyond the fact that the salon had permission to reopen. Under the stay-at-home order, tanning salons are not listed as essential businesses.
- The state's stay-at-home order is set to expire on Friday, May 8.
- 11,664 people have tested positive for the coronavirus as of Sunday, according to the NCDHHS. 422 people have died.
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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