Press release from the city of Asheville:
In concert with Buncombe County, today Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer signed a State of Emergency proclamation for the City of Asheville, based on the public health emergency posed by COVID-19.
This State of Emergency proclamation applies to City-owned property only.
The proclamation (attached) prohibits any organized group of 250 persons or more to assemble on property owned by the City of Asheville. This includes the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. It remains in effect until rescinded.
“We are also exploring ways to allow people to participate in City meetings without physically attending and toward that end we are seeking advice from experts with the UNC School of Government,” said Mayor Manheimer.
Buncombe County also declared an official state of emergency today until further notice. Find the Buncombe County State of Emergency announcement at this link. Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Brownie Newman said the move achieves three important goals:
· Makes Buncombe County eligible for state and federal funds correlated to coronavirus;
· Sends a clear message to the community that this is a serious health concern; and
· That all municipalities in the County are working in a coordinated fashion.
There are NO presumptive positive or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Buncombe County, according to Buncombe County Health & Human Services. The City of Asheville continues to work closely with the County Health Department to coordinate efforts to contain the spread of illness in our community and to promote awareness of those who might be at a higher risk of serious outcomes related to COVID-19.
This is an evolving situation and information is often changing. For resources on prevention best practices and news updates, visit Buncombe Ready. Guidance is also posted on the Buncombe County Health & Human Services website.
For information on how to sign up for City and County government and City and County schools alerts, visit this link.
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