After being in place since March 2020 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of emergency order laying out Orange County’s response to the coronavirus now has an end date.

As part of a technical correction to reflect the latest changes to the county’s indoor mask mandate, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners Renée Price officially set the declaration of a state of emergency to expire at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. The date can be shifted if the declaration is extended or rescinded earlier.

Orange County, as well as the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, initially issued state of emergency orders on March 13, 2020. The move allowed the local governments to quickly shift personnel to respond to early COVID-19 cases and to prepare for the community’s larger response. That included shifting resources to a local emergency center and helping the Orange County Health Department with the eventual rollout of COVID-19 testing, vaccine distribution and more. Orange County’s order came just three days after Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for North Carolina due to the virus.

The latest changes to the order, including the establishment of an expiration date, came as the county transitions to a more mask-optional phase of its COVID-19 response. The mask mandate for most indoor public spaces, re-enacted in August 2021 to limit a renewed spread of the virus, was largely lifted on Monday evening. County leaders and local health officials pointed to the continued decline in coronavirus trends in the wake of the virus’ omicron variant as reasoning for the move. The updated state of emergency order does still recommend face coverings for residents entering indoor public spaces, while masks are still required for anyone in medical facilities, congregate living facilities and public transportation.

In July 2021, the county government announced it was extending the state of emergency indefinitely. While COVID-19 trends were relatively low at the time, the delta variant and omicron variant of COVID-19 each kept the order in place longer. Elected officials also pointed to the order’s ability for local government meetings to be held remotely as another benefit of continuing the order.

The latest edition of Orange County’s Declaration of a State of Emergency can be found here, while the technical correction with the May 1 end date can be found here.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Orange County to Continue With Limited Gatherings, Staying Stricter Than State Guidelines
Orange County will not be expanding its gathering size limits to match new North Carolina guidelines amid the transition to Phase 2.5 of reopening. As the county is experiencing more than ten percent of positive test results across recent weeks, elected officials will opt to not match the sizes of 25 people indoors and 50 […]
Orange County Commissioner Explains How to Receive, Submit Absentee Ballots for Nov. Election
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, voter safety during the upcoming election in November is an important issue. As many people plan to avoid large crowds, many are looking to vote from home using absentee ballots. The absentee voting method is allowed for anyone who either cannot or do not wish to go to their polling […]
Orange County Updates Mask Requirement to Mirror State's Order
Note: This story has been updated to reflect Orange County’s changes to its mask requirement that adopt the many of same regulations as issued by the latest executive order from the state. The Orange County government updated its existing mask requirement to align with the statewide requirement before it went into effect on Friday. Governor […]
Orange County to Follow NC's Phase 1 Guidelines, Ending County Stay-Home Order
Orange County will end its stay at home order on Friday, May 8, to allow residents to fully comply with state guidance as it enters Phase 1 of gradual reopening. The county shared a release on Wednesday acknowledging it will let the county order expire, but reminding residents they still fall under the statewide stay […]
Orange County Extends Stay at Home Order to Coincide with North Carolina's
Orange County extended its county-wide stay at home order past its initial April 30 expiration date. County officials, in cooperation with the mayors of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, decided to extend the order until May 8, according to a release from Orange County. The new length of the order coincides with the extension of […]
Hillsborough Police Charge Resident for Violating Stay at Home Order After Weekend Block Party
Hillsborough Police recently charged a resident for violating North Carolina’s stay at home order issued in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Town of Hillsborough shared a release on Monday saying the department is attempting to serve 32 year-old Tocee Mitchell of 585 Riddle Avenue for his involvement in a block party Sunday […]
Mental Health, Infant Mortality and Environmental Racism: Takeaways From Orange County's Health Assessment Data
Every four years, the Orange County Health Department embarks on an intensive effort to gather wide-ranging, local health information in its Community Health Assessment, which happened in 2023. One month ago, the health department shared those results and data with residents. The health department published its public copies of the 2023 assessment after surveys, focus […]
Orange County Ends COVID-19 Testing Services After Nearly 3 Years
After nearly three years of offering PCR tests for COVID-19, the Orange County Health Department has officially halted its testing services.
OWASA to Resume Standard Collection Practices on June 1
The Orange Water and Sewer Authority will resume its standard collection practices beginning June 1, the agency announced in a release Monday afternoon. The move aligns with Orange County ending its state of emergency order for the COVID-19 pandemic, with the declaration expiring on Sunday. OWASA had maintained a moratorium on service disconnections and collection […]
Orange County Sets Expiration Date for COVID-19 State of Emergency
After being in place since March 2020 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of emergency order laying out Orange County’s response to the coronavirus now has an end date. As part of a technical correction to reflect the latest changes to the county’s indoor mask mandate, Chair of the Orange County Board […]
›