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.
APRIL 14, 2020:
10:15 p.m. - Jeff Phillips, Chairman Guilford County Board of Commissioners releasing following about stay-at-home order talks.
Conversations about whether or not to extend the Stay At Home order are underway and will be ongoing right up until any final decisions are made later this week.
We are continuing to closely examine all the influencing factors to come to what we believe to be the most prudent decision for Guilford County at this time.
That said, there does appear to some reason for cautious optimism due, in large part, to our collective efforts to stay at home as much as possible over the past several weeks while striving to follow CDC guidelines otherwise.
Again, I'm not taking anything for granted and we've got to continue to all do our part whenever and wherever possible, but in my view, we may have stemmed the tide of what could have been more of a worst-case scenario for our area.
We certainly can't ever take our eye off the critical importance of the health and safety of our citizens, however, we also have to consider the painful influence of a continued and more restrictive stay at home order on our local and regional economy, including the extreme challenges facing many of our small businesses.
These and many other serious factors are being considered as we look toward the Stay At Home order expiration on Thursday.
10:00 p.m. - Guilford County Schools approved the final three non-traditional academic calendars for 2020-21 after a 30-day period of public comment.
Click the links below to view the calendars:
9:15 p.m. - Guilford County Schools has released it’s grading process for the remainder of the school year for grades K-5, 6-8, 9-11 and 12.
The school district has moved up the end of the third quarter to Friday, March 13 for schools that follow the Traditional Academic calendar. School leaders said grades will be assigned for the third quarter based on assignments and tests students have already completed.
Students will receive a grade of “pass” by completing assignments online for the fourth quarter with remote learning.
8:00 p.m. - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper talks one-on-one with WFMY News 2 about the coronavirus and the state's efforts and the stay-at-home order.
7:45 p.m. - 2 Wants to Know's Tanya Rivera gave insight on 'IRS Treas 310' which is your stimulus payment into your bank account.
It's estimated that 80-million people will have their stimulus money in their account by Wednesday.
7:37 p.m. - WFMY News 2 spoke with Dr. Bruce Swords from Cone Health about the importance of flattening the curve.
Experts say social distancing is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And recommend staying home as much as possible.
6:27 p.m. - White House Coronavirus Task Force gives briefing.
President Donald Trump said plans to re-open America are close to being finalized and will soon be shared.
Trump said he will speaking to governors throughout the nation and will authorize each individual governor of each state to implement a re-opening plan at a time and manner as most appropriate.
"The day will be very close," said President Trump.
4:45 p.m. - Wake Forest University Head Football Coach, Dave Clawson has volunteered to take a 10-percent salary reduction amid the financial impact from the coronavirus.
3:45 p.m. - Guilford County Division of Public Health (GCDPH) has been notified of 137 cases of COVID-19 in Guilford County. GCDPH has verified 10 deaths.
3:40 p.m. - The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $238.7 million to North Carolina’s airports to assist continued operations and save workers’ jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Piedmont Triad International Airport will get more than $16 million. Smith Reynolds will get more than $157,000. Burlington-Alamance Regional will get $69,000.
2:00 p.m. - Members of the North Carolina coronavirus task force give an update.
Members with the North Carolina coronavirus task force along with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed 5,024 cases, 418 hospitalizations, and 108 deaths.
The task force said North Carolinians can call 2-1-1 if they need help or resources in response to COVID-19.
And said those in need can text COVIDNC to 898211 to receive COVID-19 updates twice a day.
The North Carolina coronavirus task force said they have seen a rising number of cases in both the Triad and Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
The task force said social distancing efforts are working to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The force believes the more we stay at home, the more lives can be saved.
1:20 p.m - Forsyth County changes stay-at-home order to match North Carolina state's new, stricter emergency declaration guidelines. On Monday, Gov. Roy Cooper imposed new, strict social distancing requirements on retail establishments and replaced local restrictions. In order to promote uniformity of restrictions across North Carolina, Forsyth County announced its stay-at-home order will be replaced with the state's stay-at-home order until April 29.
The new regulations go into effect Thursday, April 15.
11:45 a.m. - North Carolina tops 100 coronavirus related deaths, health officials report. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services daily coronavirus numbers report shows the state has 5,024 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 108 coronavirus deaths, an increase of 22 deaths from yesterday. 93 of 100 North Carolina counties now report confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
11:30 a.m. - The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office is putting on a parade for the Lewisville community to spread some cheer during these crazy times. It will start at noon. The department posted the route on its Facebook page.
10:36 a.m. - Free Winston-Salem transit service begins operation tomorrow. In order to avoid the exchange of money and tickets, Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines announced free public transportation will be available starting Wednesday, April 15. Busses will have seats marked for passengers to sit that meet social distancing guidelines and will not allow more than 15 passengers on city busses at a time.
Mayor Joines said additional bus drivers will be re-hired to help appropriately operate within COVID-19 safety guidelines when ridership increases and the free transportation service needs to expand.
City officials said plexiglass shields will be installed to protect drivers. The city will also provide drivers with cloth masks and require route reductions so they can sanitize between trips.
10:06 a.m. - Winston-Salem stay-at-home order extended three weeks. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines announced a signed order keeping the current COVID-19 stay-at-home order in place until May 7. The extension was announced at an informal press conference with city leaders Tuesday morning. Mayor Joines issued the original March 27 order to expire Thursday, April 16.
The extended emergency declaration will keep in place the rules of the original declaration while adding regulations handed down by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
7:45 a.m. - Join our digital newscast AFTER GMS. Stimulus checks are starting to roll out. We'll tell you everything you need to know. Plus, you might want to hold off on that Myrtle Beach vacation. We'll explain why.
Tuesday news to note:
- The IRS announced the first wave of stimulus checks have already gone out. Here's how to find out when you'll get yours.
- A Greensboro mom who had coronavirus said she was initially turned away for testing. When her 73-year-old mother passed out from similar symptoms, she decided it was time to try to get the test again.
- Alamance County officials said the reason for a jump in day-to-day cases was the result of a large batch of LabCorp test results with no addresses. When there is no listed address, the default address is Burlington because LabCorp is headquartered in Alamance County.
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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