As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Wake County, so are concerns that the virus could overwhelm our local healthcare system. To help prevent that from happening, Wake County Board of Commissioners Chairman Greg Ford signed a proclamation today that puts a stay-at-home order in effect on Friday, March 27, at 5 p.m
.
“If we’re serious about protecting our community, we need to get serious about staying at home, so we can slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Chairman Ford. “That’s why we moved swiftly to implement this measure. Our short-term sacrifices can mean very literally the difference between life and death for some of our residents – and it would be irresponsible not to act.”
The goal of the proclamation is for Wake County residents to stay home and away from others who are not immediate members of their family or household. By restricting contact, the county hopes to reduce the rate at which COVID-19 is infecting residents.
What is Not Allowed under the Proclamation
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.
What is Allowed under the Proclamation
The stay-at-home order 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
For a comprehensive list,
read the proclamation
. It will remain in effect until April 17 at which time the county will re-evaluate the situation and determine if an extension is needed.
“We’ve been in constant conversation with our partners at the local hospitals and in the municipalities since the pandemic took hold here,” said Wake County Manager David Ellis. “Together, we looked at the growing caseload in our community and determined a stay-at-home order was the best way to help protect our residents and healthcare workers from contracting COVID-19.”
Information for Businesses
Wake County has set up a dedicated phone line – 919-856-7420 – to address business-specific questions related to the stay-at-home order. In addition, special FAQs focused on the business community are posted on the county’s
COVID-19 webpage
.
Wake County is also working with the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and
Wake County Economic Development
to help communicate with the business community about these changes and share important resources to support them during this challenging time.
Town of Wake Forest - COVID-19 Portal
The Town of Wake Forest has created a
COVID-19 portal
to share useful information and provide updates. The page includes links to the websites of local, state, and national health experts, a complete rundown of
Town alerts and closures
, a
listing of local restaurants
providing delivery and takeout service, and other useful information about COVID-19. We continue to update the webpage as circumstances warrant. The
portal is also included as a function on the
Town of Wake Forest app
.
Wake County COVID-19 Updates
Contact Information
If you have specific questions about COVID-19 and your risk, email
covid19.questions@wakegov.com
or call 919-856-7044 and someone from Wake County’s public health team will return your message within the next business day.
Protect Yourself
Although your risk of contracting COVID-19 remains low, the county’s public health team encourages you to protect yourself from COVID-19 and any other flu-like illness by following these simple steps:
- Stay away from sick people and practice social distancing measures.
- Wash your hands.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash.
- Stay home if you’re sick and don’t send sick children to school or childcare.
