Orange County Extends State of Emergency Until March, To Pass 1 Year Mark

The Orange County government amended its state of emergency on Wednesday and extended it to next March, which could mark one full year of the community being under the order created to combat COVID-19.

A release from the county government said the change, made in consolation with Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart, was made based on the latest data regarding the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on county residents. The state of emergency is now slated to last through March 31, 2020.

Orange County and its three town governments within all declared states of emergency on March 13 to prepare for COVID-19. Since then, the county also passed a stay at home order, which urged community members to remain at residences to mitigate the coronavirus’ spread, and other amendments to maintain the state of emergency. While Orange County’s orders were stricter than North Carolina’s COVID-19 public health guidelines for months, the local government amended the order in September to match Governor Roy Cooper’s executive orders.

While operating under a state of emergency, local government meetings are able to be held virtually, a resource several elected officials in Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough  said was an important factor when previously amending the order.

As of Wednesday, 4,514 Orange County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March, with 62 dying from complications caused by the coronavirus. North Carolina recorded 5,273 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

The signed declaration approving the state of emergency amendment can be found on the Orange County government’s website.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

‹

'We Are Extremely Concerned': Carrboro, Hillsborough Weigh Tough Budget Choices

Tough budget decisions are looming in Carrboro and Hillsborough, where officials have to choose between higher taxes and major cuts.

Local Government Meetings: February 9-13, 2025

This week in local government: residents in Chatham County push back against Flock license-plate cameras and AI data centers.

Carrboro Selects Marie Parker As Assistant Town Manager

On March 23, Carrboro Town Manager Richard J. White III announced Marie Parker as the town’s newest Assistant Town Manager. 

Orange County Plans to Build Crisis and Diversion Facility

The Orange County Behavioral Task Force recently shared detailed recommendations with the Orange County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) for the development of a Crisis and Diversion Facility. The task force was formed in April 2019 after thirty community stakeholders from the criminal justice, health care, behavioral health and housing system participated in the Orange County […]

Local Government Meeting Schedule: January 2022

This series of posts will be made monthly on Chapelboro to help inform our community when local government meetings will be. All meeting days, locations and times may be subject to change. Check respective town websites for additional information. Our community has entered another new year, with many new policy decisions, projects and events ahead. […]

Local Election Candidates in Chapel Hill, Carrboro Endorsed by Equality NC

Local election season in Orange County is getting closer and one of the first rounds of endorsements of candidates has recently been released. Equality North Carolina, an advocacy group and political action committee for LGBTQ rights, shared which candidates it is supporting in town government races this fall on Wednesday. Among that group are candidates […]

Local Government Meeting Schedule: June 2021

This series of posts will be made monthly on Chapelboro to help inform our community when local government meetings will be. All meeting days, locations and times may be subject to change. Check respective town websites for additional information. As we enter June, a summer break is around the corner for most of our local […]

Bills Let More NC Local Governments Bypass Newspaper Notices

More local governments in North Carolina could bypass newspapers and instead post public notices online in legislation advancing in the state House. A pair of bills approved by a judiciary committee this week would allow city councils and county commissioners in about two dozen counties put notices for items like zoning and annexation proposals, vendor […]

Chapel Hill Peoples Academy To Be Held Virtually in March

Despite pandemic restrictions, the Town of Chapel Hill will be continuing this year with efforts to help connect members of the community with local government. Since 2018, the Chapel Hill Peoples Academy has provided residents and visitors an opportunity to learn about town services and operations, connect with town leadership and staff, discuss issues in […]

Orange County Extends State of Emergency Until March, To Pass 1 Year Mark

The Orange County government amended its state of emergency on Wednesday and extended it to next March, which could mark one full year of the community being under the order created to combat COVID-19. A release from the county government said the change, made in consolation with Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart, was made […]

›