Press release from Henderson County Department of Public Health:
Hendersonville, NC (March 6, 2020) —- Henderson County Department of Public Health (HCDPH) hosted healthcare leaders, emergency responders, and regional partners at the Henderson County Emergency Services center to share updates on the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and prepare for the possibility that it becomes a local concern.The situation surrounding COVID-19 is rapidly evolving and the information or public health recommendations are changing as new information becomes available. At this time:
No COVID-19 cases have been identified in Henderson County or the local area.
The HCDPH recommends individuals treat COVID-19 prevention the same as with the flu:
- Stay home when sick
- Avoid contact with persons that you know are sick
- Cover your cough (cough into the crook of elbow or upper sleeve, not in hands; or use a tissue and throw in trash)
- Practice good hand hygiene (wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing)
- If you do not have access to soap and water use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol
- Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces with household cleaners
- Note: Masks worn by healthy people do not help reduce the spread of COVID-19
When a community has cases of COVID-19, local health officials will help identify those individuals and initiate next steps.
Health officials will contact individuals who returned to Henderson County after travel to China. HCDPH would determine if those individuals require restrictions on their movement for a period of 14 days from the time they left the area. This could include being asked to stay home from work, school and other settings.
Coronavirus symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you have these symptoms:
- Call your healthcare provider. Isolate yourself and wear a mask, if available, before leaving the house.
- Do not go to the emergency room. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs.
- If you are having a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
For more information, call the North Carolina Coronavirus Hotline at 1-866-462-3821 (staffed by nurses and pharmacists 24/7), or visit the Center for Disease Control’s website for information and frequent updates at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.