Wake County issues stay-at-home order beginning Friday to deal with coronavirus, here's what that means
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Wake County officials announced a stay-at-home order for the county on Thursday afternoon in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The announcement follows similar decisions from the City of Durham and Orange County.
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The order goes into effect Friday at 5 p.m. and will remain in effect until April 17.
The stay-at-home order includes the following mandates:
- All non-essential facilities, services, operations and retail businesses must close.
- Gatherings of any size are prohibited.
- People of any age with medical conditions should not leave their homes except to get medical care.
- Social distancing must be practiced while in public.
- Public transportation should only be used if necessary. If public transport is a person's primary way to get around, they should abide by social distancing best practices, standing and sitting at least six feet apart and using sanitizing products.
The stay-at-home does not restrict activities such as:
- Shopping for food at the grocery store or picking up take-out meals from a local restaurant
- Operating businesses that provide critical services like hospitals, government agencies and financial institutions
- Caring for a family member or pet in another household
- Providing childcare for parents who have to go to work at jobs that are considered essential
- Utilizing plumbers, electricians, exterminators and others who help maintain the safety and sanitation of residences
- Visiting a local park, greenway or nature preserve while practicing social distancing
Read the full proclamation here.
Watch the full news conference here:
Wake County has set up a dedicated phone line (919-856-7420) to address business-specific questions related to the stay-at-home order.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin believes the impact of the stay-at-home order will have devastating effects on the city's budget; pushing some of the cities largest projects such as the Dorothea Dix Park and affordable housing community plan to the side.
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Wake County declared a state of emergency on March 13. As of Wednesday evening, 84 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in the county, according to county officials.
As part of an earlier State of Emergency declaration, all fitness clubs, gyms, hair and nail salons, spas, tanning, massage, and tattoo salons are closed.
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