Orange County Government and The Town of Carrboro and Chapel Hill declared a state of emergency on Friday in response to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
Chair of the Board of the County Commissioners Penny Rich initially made the declaration, which will allow public safety personnel to better respond to any identified cases that may surface in the county.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, @OCNCGOV Chair Penny Rich has declared a state of emergency in the county. The declaration will allow public safety personnel to better respond to the coronavirus and the county manager to make necessary adjustments to ensure public safety.
— Orange County NC Gov (@OCNCGOV) March 13, 2020
Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle issued her own proclamation declaring a state of emergency in the Town of Carrboro following Orange County’s declaration earlier in the day.
Mayor Lavelle said, in issuing the proclamation, “These are unprecedented times. Under the law, our responsibility as elected officials is the health, safety, and welfare of all of our residents.”
Mayor Lavelle Issues Town of Carrboro State of Emergency Proclamationhttps://t.co/SMdMyB9b3f pic.twitter.com/vj0rzZVg4O
— Carrboro, NC (@CarrboroGov) March 13, 2020
Later Friday afternoon, the Town of Chapel Hill also declared a state of emergency for the town. A state of emergency allows emergency processes and funding to be put in place to allow immediate response to emergency situations.
The Town of Chapel Hill has declared a State of Emergency to help Town leaders and emergency managers streamline and expedite their response to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. https://t.co/XAVCQ1gGkp
— Town of Chapel Hill | A Place for Everyone (@chapelhillgov) March 13, 2020
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for the state earlier in the week for similar reasons.
State of Emergency means nothing for the school district staff that are still being “forced” to work.