Orange County COVID-19 Updated Data August 7, 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: 1,316
TOTAL DEATHS: 46

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.

Statement from Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart on the Opening of UNC

Recently I have been receiving emails from concerned community members about UNC reopening. I along with multiple staff from the health department have provided guidance and assisted with review and revision of plans for some parts of campus for reopening. I personally have been in many meetings with UNC Leadership over the past couple months. We are grateful to work so closely with UNC staff as we all respond to the pandemic together.

While I always appreciate and value input from community members, I feel that it is important to clarify who makes the final decision about campuses reopening. Many have suggested that I close campus and declare an imminent hazard. While it is true the local health director can determine an imminent hazard exists, there is a high legal bar for this to survive a judicial challenge and there is also cost associated with shutting down the UNC campus. The statute provides a single method for the recovery of costs, "local health department shall have a lien on the property of the owner, lessee, operator, or other person in control of the property where the imminent hazard existed for the cost of the abatement of the imminent hazard." Since this is the only means of recovering the costs the full cost most likely becomes the burden of the County. This is not a realistic option. Media reports indicated the Board of Governors had instructed universities to follow any recommendations from local health departments. However, we cannot find evidence of any action from the Board of Governors to make this official board policy.

The best thing we can all do to keep healthy is to wear a mask when out in public, wash your hands frequently and stay 6 feet apart from others, not including your household members. The Orange County Health Department will continue to work closely with the University to plan and prepare for any challenges the reopening brings.

HRC Summer Community Read examines voter suppression

This year is the 150th Anniversary of the 15th Amendment and the 55th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, yet the struggle for the ballot continues for African Americans. The Human Relations Commission is sponsoring a series of events examining voter suppression efforts in the U.S. and North Carolina.

The HRC’s Community Read for this summer is “Give us the Ballot: A Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America” by Ari Berman, a senior reporter for Mother Jones and a fellow at Type Media Center. He was the first reporter to cover voter suppression efforts in 2012, bringing national attention to the issue. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Rolling Stone and other national publications and is a frequent contributor to MSNBC, C-SPAN and NPR.

“Give Us the Ballot” chronicles the history of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as it transformed the American democratic process, while counterrevolutionaries sought to suppress voting rights that, “target[ed] African Americans with almost surgical precision.”
In 2013, the Supreme Court declared a key provision of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. As lawmakers continue to devise new strategies to suppress minorities’ voting rights the battle over race, representation, and political power rages on in America.

The HRC is hosting a zoom event with Berman on Aug. 19 from 6-7 p.m. Click the link below to register:
https://orangecountync.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WIUQjgr2SJK52cPkY5blFA

The HRC is hosting a Community Read event on Sept. 13, from 3-5 p.m.
This event is free and open to the community and will include a discussion of the Voting Rights Act, attempts to suppress voting rights and the ways we as a community can address the issues presented in the book. The discussion will be led by members of the Orange County Human Relations Commission. Click the link below to register.
https://orangecountync.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0K47Z5YgQTSV4CICCnddWw

Pre-registration is required for both events.

Program offers help to residents facing eviction

The Orange County Eviction Diversion Program is here to help with eviction cases and housing condition issues. If you live in Orange County, you may have access to free legal help and emergency housing assistance funds to prevent eviction.

To see if you qualify, call the Orange County Housing Helpline at (919) 245-2655 between Noon - 4 p.m. on Monday-Friday and midnight - 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday or email housinghelp@orangecountync.gov.

Fulltime students at UNC-Chapel Hill should contact Carolina Student Legal Services Inc., for further assistance at (919) 962-1303 or csls@unc.edu.

Orange County Aging Department to host presentation on voting safely in the November 2020 election.

The Orange County Department on Aging and the Project EngAGE Policy and Advocacy Senior Resource Team invite the public to attend a virtual presentation, Voting Safely in the 2020 Election.

Make sure you make your voice heard and your vote count in the 2020 election! Join us on Thursday, Aug. 13 from 4 – 5:15 p.m. to hear a presentation from You Can Vote about how to safely vote this fall. The presentation will cover how to vote by mail, including the new rules about how to complete the absentee ballot request form and how to complete the absentee ballot.

Information will be provided on how to find your sample ballot, check your voter registration, and tools to share with all eligible voters to successfully vote on Nov. 3, 2020. You Can Vote is a nonpartisan voting rights group that works to educate and empower voters each year.

The event will take place via the virtual platform, GoToMeeting. The meeting room will accept entry beginning at 3:45 pm to assist with any questions or issues with using the platform prior to the start of the program.

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone: https://www.gotomeet.me/GOTO_Meeting_AGING_02

You can also dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (872) 240-3212
Access Code: 127-828-013

Technology assistance requests must be made by Aug. 10. Contact Shenae McPherson at shmcpherson@orangecountync.gov or 919-245-4243.

Census takers will soon be visiting households in Orange County that have not responded to the 2020 Census. it's not too late to keep the census takers away. Click the graphic to fill it out online or find the phone number to call to fill it out over the telephone.

Chamber Releases Skilled Construction Trades Study

The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro (The Chamber) published the Skilled Construction Trades Study, a compilation of research completed in partnership with the Skilled Construction Trades Study Group (Study Group) that confirms the construction trades talent pipeline in Orange County needs attention and identifies the start-up costs of a possible training center. The report concludes with recommended next steps and identifies the need for a comprehensive, county-wide workforce development plan.

“We appreciate the Orange County Commissioners for commissioning and funding this study, which allowed us to research the skilled construction trades talent pipeline and assess the feasibility of a tradescraft training center in Orange County,” said Katie Loovis, The Chamber Vice President of External Affairs and lead facilitator and researcher on the project.

Three Key Findings

The nearly year-long study involved meetings and interviews with fifty key stakeholders as well as extensive research on national, state, and regional policies and programs that culminated in this 88-page report. The study made three key findings for this region.

First, this study validated that there is a construction worker shortage and employer demand continues despite the pandemic-related economic contraction. Second, there are several occupations in the construction trades with strong income opportunities and projected growth. Third, while the construction job opportunities are robust, training for these occupations in Orange County is limited at best.

Click here to read the entire release.

HEY! What are y'all reading? Sign up for NOT A BOOK CLUB and let's talk about it online. No required reading, all genres welcome. Pick up some great ideas for your next read!

Library Survey for remote services

While the Orange County Public Library is still limited in the services it can safely offer, staff want to provide those you want the most. Please take 10-15 minutes to complete this survey. Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OCPLCustomerSurvey2020

Orange Works offers employment and training assistance

Orange Works Employment & Training Center is part of the Department of Social Services and is adjacent to the DSS Hillsborough location at 113 Mayo Street. Orange Works provides a variety of workforce development resources to the public, including resume review, assistance with NC Works registration, interview prep, career counseling, virtual job search assistance and career counseling. Staff can provide referrals to employment & training programs offered by DSS and to partner agencies that provide other valuable career services.

Although Orange Works is currently closed to the public, a lot of these services are offered virtually, including some great online workshops. If you would like to learn more about the programs and services available through Orange Works, or get information about the employment and training programs available at DSS, follow their Facebook page or contact Orange Works at 919-245-4354.

www.orangecountync.gov