With nine people present in the echoing City Hall chamber, Council members on March 24 unanimously approved a consent agenda that granted Mayor Esther Manheimer broad emergency powers.
Tag: COVID-19
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New county fund to support individuals, businesses during COVID-19
For individuals who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, the fund could pay for “life-essential needs” such as utilities and mortgages. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees could receive low-interest loans of up to $10,000 to sustain operations until they could reopen or get additional support from the federal government.
County readies stay-at-home mandate for March 25
At a March 24 press conference, Fletcher Tove, Buncombe County’s emergency preparedness coordinator, said public health staff were finalizing a new supplemental state of emergency declaration that would mandate a “stay home, stay safe” approach to fighting the spread of the disease.
How to navigate eatery closures and support restaurant industry workers
Suddenly, hundreds of restaurants and thousands of employees, from chefs to dishwashers, are out of work. The ripple effect is profound, affecting farmers and suppliers who rely on the restaurant trade.
Hospitals brace for COVID-19 cases, clamp down on visitors
Area hospitals have taken somewhat differing approaches to the question of whether to stop performing elective surgeries and other medical procedures. There are worries nationally about whether there will be enough personal protective gear like masks and gloves for health care workers, but hospitals in the Asheville area say they have good supplies for now.
Buncombe suspects local community transmission of COVID-19
Unlike other local instances of the disease caused by the new coronavirus, explained Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, county health workers had been unable to trace at least two cases to a specific source — suggesting that the infection is spreading within the county at large.
Council considers COVID-19 emergency changes on March 24
One ordinance to be approved by Asheville City Council would grant Mayor Esther Manheimer the authority to proclaim any new regulations deemed “reasonably necessary to maintain order and protect lives or property during a state of emergency.”
First Buncombe, Henderson residents test positive for COVID-19
Although a case of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus had previously been reported in a visitor to Buncombe County on March 16, the two newly announced cases are the first to be confirmed in residents of Buncombe and its surrounding counties.
Buncombe County suspends COVID-19 test sites
Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, the county’s interim health director, said during a March 20 press conference that the decision was made primarily to conserve resources for “the long haul” in Buncombe’s management of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Xpress announces staff cuts
Xpress announces staff reductions in response to business impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Jobs picture darkens in wake of coronavirus shutdowns
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper issued a March 17 executive order making it easier for people statewide who have lost their jobs in the wake of business closures related to the coronavirus epidemic to get unemployment benefits, but many workers will find the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow to be comparatively skimpy.
Buncombe responds to COVID-19: March 19
Buncombe County’s revised emergency declaration restricts gatherings to 10 people or less, a stronger mandate than the current statewide prohibition of gatherings of over 100 people. The mandate also requires gyms, fitness centers and exercise facilities, indoor pools, spas, movie theaters, live performance venues and arcades to close until further notice.
Buncombe responds to COVID-19: March 18
Fletcher Tove, Buncombe County’s emergency preparedness coordinator said that a local mandate to shutter businesses and facilities that bring people into close, sustained contact — including gyms, pools, spas, hair salons and barber shops — is being developed and could be announced soon.
Commission approves $500K for COVID-19 response
The budget allocation approved during the meeting was double the $250,000 request listed on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners agenda, which was published on March 11. Of the new amount, $350,000 will go to public safety, with an additional $75,000 spent on both human services and general government.
Buncombe responds to COVID-19: March 17
Buncombe County has opened two drive-through testing sites, which will be open Wednesday, March 18, from 2-6 p.m. The first site is Biltmore Church at 35 Clayton Road in Arden, and the second is UNC Asheville at One University Heights.
WNC responds to COVID-19 concerns
As our community considers the impact of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Xpress will track event cancellations and postponements throughout Western North Carolina.
State, local governments respond as Buncombe’s first contact with disease is confirmed
The effects of the public school closure and a mandatory statewide ban on gatherings of 100 or more people are rippling through the community. And the county health department confirmed that an individual with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, visited Buncombe County March 10-13.
Going Viral
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
N.C. public schools to close beginning Monday, March 16, for at least two weeks
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper announced the closure all all public schools in the state beginning Monday, March 16 until at least Monday, March 30, to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Commission to vote on COVID-19 emergency funding March 17
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will hear an update on the local status of COVID-19, then consider a $250,000 appropriation to provide funding for the county’s emergency response. Of that money, $200,000 would be available to the county’s public safety efforts, while $50,000 would be allocated to human services.
Buncombe County, Asheville declare states of emergency over COVID-19
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman declared a local state of emergency due to the increasing number of cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina. The move followed a statewide emergency declaration from Gov. Roy Cooper just two days earlier. Mayor Esther Manheimer subsequently declared a state of emergency for the city of Asheville.
