Orange County COVID-19 Updated Data July 24, 2020

The Orange County Health Department has provided the following information about COVID-19 cases in Orange County as of 9:00 a.m. today:

TOTAL CASES: 1,137
TOTAL DEATHS: 45

Data Considerations:
1. Any demographic groups with very small numbers have been suppressed to protect
patient confidentiality.
2. We are missing race and ethnicity data for between 30-40% of confirmed cases.
3. We don’t know who may have COVID-19 that wasn’t able to get tested, and we don’t know what groups the patients with missing data fall under.
This data should not be used to make generalizations about who may or may not have higher rates of infection.

Click here to download the entire release.

OCAS joins Clear the Shelters adopt and donate campaign

Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) has joined NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’?Clear the Shelters™ 2020 pet adoption campaign. To help individuals and communities continue to practice safe social distancing measures, this year’s initiative will run from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, feature virtual pet adoptions, and make it easy for people to donate online to participating shelters/rescues. This is the sixth consecutive year that NBC and Telemundo owned stations present their popular pet adoption campaign to communities nationwide in partnership with affiliate stations and shelters/rescues. Since 2015, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign has helped more than 410,00 pets find new homes.

As part of this year's Clear The Shelters’ “Adopt & Donate” campaign, all adoptable pets at OCAS will be part of a "Name Your Price" adoption special during the entire month of August. Also, OCAS encourages donations be made to the web page provided by GreaterGood.org: https://bit.ly/DonateForMatchCTS. Donations made on this page will be matched by other campaign partners, The Animal Rescue Site and Heartgard. This year’s campaign also features returning partners WeRescue, GreaterGood.org, and new partner 24PetWatch.

Clear The Shelters™ / Desocupar Los Albergues® is an annual, nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal. Every year, NBCUniversal’s TV stations (NBC and Telemundo owned stations), plus affiliated stations partner with local animal shelters and rescues in their communities to host Clear The Shelters events. NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear The Shelters campaign was inspired by a 2014 North Texas pet adoption event hosted by NBC 5 / KXAS and Telemundo 39 / KXTX and dozens of area shelters that resulted in the most adopted pets in one day for North Texas. Visit ClearTheShelters.com, DesocuparLosAlbergues.com for more information. Follow the effort on Twitter @ClearTheShelter, and on social media using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #DesocuparLosAlbergues.

For more information about OCAS, please visit their website at https://www.orangecountync.gov/155/Animal-Services. Also see many of their adoptable animals on Facebook and Instagram.

Orange County awards $5,000 grants to 52 businesses in second round of stimulus funding

Fifty-two small businesses in Orange County received $5,000 grants in the second round of pandemic-related emergency financial assistance approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

“Small businesses are struggling during this unprecedented time,” said Penny Rich, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. “These jobs are important to our local economy, and we are committed to doing whatever we can to help as many of our local companies survive this pandemic.”

According to Orange County Economic Development Director Steve Brantley, 118 companies applied for the program. Forty-two were eliminated because they did not meet requirements. Businesses that had already received COVID-related assistance from another program, such as the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) were ineligible, and only companies located in Orange County were eligible.

A committee appointed by the Board of Commissioners reviewed the remaining applicants and found 53 companies that met the requirements for the grant and provided the necessary documentation. One subsequently withdrew its application after it received assistance through the PPP program.

Brantley said businesses can use the grant for expenses incurred as a result of a need to expand, preserve jobs or to accommodate required social distancing.

Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Offers Residents More Ways to Explore the Region

With many companies requiring employees to quarantine if they leave the state for a vacation, staycations are positioned to be the biggest “travel” trend of summer/fall 2020. Tighter budgets and lingering health concerns are forcing people everywhere to scrap their standard vacation plans.

While a staycation might not have been on most people’s 2020 radar, a good vacation in North Carolina is easy, thanks to so many options within 60 miles of our own backyard.

Laurie Paolicelli, Director of Orange County’s Visitors Bureau said the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau is encouraging locals and visitors to explore the middle of the state: North Carolina’s Piedmont.

“At the Visitors Bureau, our traditional role has been to focus on our backyard, but we recognize that travelers have limited options now and cabin fever has set in so we are turning the spotlight on our region, giving folks an idea of what they can explore within a couple of hours.”

Visit North Carolina, the state’s tourism agency reminds visitors that the middle of North Carolina is the center of it all so it’s easy for Triangle and Triad residents to check-out ways that their family can enjoy area wineries, breweries, golf and natural attractions. Staycations support local businesses, and there are many fun things to do right here in Orange County.

The Visitor's Bureau has compiled more than 60 attractions worth the drive. For the complete list, visit: https://www.orangecountync.gov/2463/16983/Staycation-Ideas

The NC Symphony presents its virtual Music Discovery program. Geared for preschool and elementary age children and their families, this program will feature a NC Symphony musician providing an engaging music lesson, reading a book about music, and talking about the instruments of the orchestra. Attendees will learn how the instruments of the orchestra make their sounds and hear examples of classical and popular music. Space is limited. Click the graphic to register.

We Have Questions! Creative Project for Young & New Adults, Ages 10-26

July 21 to August 18, 2020 | For Teens & Adults

Pandemic got you down? We’ve got inspiration for you! From July 21^st to August 18^th, Orange County Public Library & the Teen Advisory Board will be working with Breaktide Productions, YouthUnmuted, Outside the Lens, and the Alliance Youth Media Network to publish the art, writing, thoughts, etc. of young & new adults, ages 10-26. Read more here

DCHC MPO Seeks Comment on 30-Year Plan for Future Transportation Priorities

If you’re interested in the 30-year plan for future highway, bicycle, rail, pedestrian and transit projects for our region, now’s your chance to give your feedback by August 5 on how the process to identify these projects will take place.

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) is seeking public feedback now on their proposed goals and objectives and their public engagement plan for the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The 2050 MTP will identify future highway, transit, rail, bicycle, pedestrian and other transportation projects for this region over the next 30 years. The goals and objectives will guide the selection of these transportation projects, and the public engagement plan will define the process for receiving input on the 2050 MTP as it develops.

Residents and other stakeholders are asked to provide comments by completing this online survey in English or Spanish, or visiting the DCHC MPO website and providing comments directly by email by Wednesday, August 5.

Residents and stakeholders may also directly address the DCHC MPO Board on these two items on Wednesday, August 12 beginning at 9 a.m. during their virtual board meeting. The August 12 virtual meeting will also be live streamed on the DCHC MPO’s Facebook page.

For more information about the 2050 MTP, contact DCHC MPO Principal Planner Andrew Henry at (919) 560-4366, ext. 36419 or by email.

OCAC Announces 2020-21 Art Grant Program

The Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) announced the opening of the 2020-21 Arts Grants Application Period on Wednesday, July 15. Approximately $60,000, funded by the North Carolina Arts Council and Orange County, will fund artist, school and nonprofit arts programs and projects taking place between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.

Two grants are available:

Artist Project Grants fund individual artist-led projects that benefit the greater community
Grassroots Arts Program Grants fund arts programs, projects, and services through area nonprofits, schools and municipal organizations. This year’s school grant cycle will take place later in the fall.

The deadline to apply is Friday, August 14, 2020. All applications must be submitted through the OCAC’s online submission program. Two virtual training sessions are available:

Grants for Artists Training Session: Tuesday, July 21, at 6pm via GoToMeeting. Link will be sent following required registration here. This session will discuss the OCAC Artist Project Grants as well as the newly announced Artist Support Grant from the NC Arts Council.
Grassroots Arts Program Training Session: Thursday, July 23, at 6pm via GoToMeeting. Link will be sent following required registration here.

For more information, including guidelines and criteria, please visit the arts commission’s website at www.artsorange.org, call 919-245-2335 or email arts@orangecountync.gov.

www.orangecountync.gov