Gov. Cooper Announces Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions as North Carolina Trends Stabilize

As North Carolina’s numbers continue to show improvement and vaccine distribution increases, Gov. Cooper announced Feb. 25 that the state will carefully ease some of its COVID-19 restrictions. Executive Order No. 195 will take effect Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. and will expire March 26 at 5 p.m.

“The key indicators are moving in the right direction. Our Orange County community has been successfully flattening the curve by wearing face masks, washing their hands and waiting six feet apart,” said Orange County Health Director, Quintana Stewart. “Thank you for your hard work, but please continue to practice the three W’s when you are not with household members.”

“Today’s action is a show of confidence and trust, but we must remain cautious. People are losing their loved ones each day,” said Governor Cooper. “We must keep up our guard. Many of us are weary, but we cannot let the weariness win. Now is the time to put our strength and resilience to work so that we can continue to turn the corner and get through this.”

The new Executive Order lifts the Modified Stay at Home Order requiring people to stay at home and businesses to close to the public between 10 pm and 5 am. The number of people who may gather indoors will increase from 10 to 25, while 50 remains the limit for outdoors. The curfew on the sale of alcohol for onsite consumption will be moved from 9 pm to 11 pm. Some businesses, including bars and amusement parks, will now be open for patrons indoors with new occupancy restrictions. Many businesses, venues and arenas will have increased occupancy both indoors and outdoors.

Click here for more information.

Infographic about COVID Vaccine in Orange County

Orange County COVID-19 Updated Data

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

TOTAL CASES: 7,623
TOTAL DEATHS: 93

Link to weekly press release: https://www.orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14990/weekly_update_press_release_february_26_2021

Data Considerations:

Any demographic groups with very small numbers have been suppressed to protect
patient confidentiality.
We are missing race and ethnicity data for between 30-40% of confirmed cases.
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.

Quinton Harper

Savannah Clay

Present Day on Main

Orange County names winners of 2021 Pauli Murray Awards; virtual presentation to be held Feb. 28

The Orange County Human Relations Commission is holding the 31st Annual Pauli Murray Awards on Sunday, February 28, from 3-5 p.m. via Zoom Webinar. The awards are presented annually to an Orange County adult, youth, and/or business that embody the attributes and spirit of Dr. Pauli Murray by serving the community with distinction in the pursuit of equality, justice, and human rights for all citizens.

This year’s ceremony will honor Quinton Harper as the adult awardee, Savannah Clay (pictured) as the youth awardee, and Present Day on Main as the business awardee.

Click here to learn more about the winners.

The keynote address will be given by Nikki Giovanni, poet, Fisk University graduate, and a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech. Through more than two dozen volumes of poetry, essays, books, and other works, Nikki has raised awareness of social issues of race and gender through writing. Among Nikki's numerous accomplishments are an unprecedented 7 NAACP Image Awards, a Grammy nomination, a finalist for the National Book Award, over 20 honorary degrees, and 3 New York Times and Los Angeles Times Best Sellers, which is highly unusual for a poet.

Appearances will be made by Jaki Shelton Green and Alani Rouse. Green is the ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina, teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies, and has been named the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC Chapel Hill. Rouse is a poet from Orange County poet and Psychology major at UNC-Greensboro whose work explores themes of social issues, blackness, sexuality, and identity.

Join us to honor the legacy of Dr. Pauli Murray and show appreciation for this year’s winners and the quality contributions they make to Orange County. Registration is required: orangecountync.gov/PauliMurray.

Housing and Community Development, The Chamber recognize outstanding landlords

The Orange County Housing and Community Development Department, with support from The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro and the Big Bold Ideas Committee on Housing, hosted a free, virtual information session for Orange County landlords and property managers on Feb. 23.

Emila Sutton, Director of Orange County Housing & Community Development, and her staff led a discussion on:

The Orange County Landlord Incentive Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Program. In July 2020, the Orange County Housing and Community Development Department kicked off an innovative incentive program. The program offers landlords a leasing bonus of up to $1,000 when they sign a new lease with any participating program, including Orange County Housing Choice Voucher, Rapid Re-housing, and Local Reentry Council. To date, 80 new leases have been signed through the program.

The Department's services and programs. In partnership with the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, the Emergency Housing Assistance program provides an alternative to costly evictions and can help landlords recoup lost rental income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program can help Orange County tenants with rent arrears and future payments, security deposits, application fees and utilities. Over 200 landlords participated in the program in 2020 and received almost $1.5 million in direct funds.

Public Transportation Announces On-Demand Ride Service pilot program begins March 5 in Hillsborough

Orange County Public Transportation (OCPT) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of Orange County MOD (Mobility On Demand), an innovative pilot program that will provide flexible and dynamic transportation service within the Hillsborough service area. Scheduled to start Friday, March 5, Orange County’s MOD program will cost $5 per trip and will be available on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Similar to services provided by transportation networking companies like Uber and Lyft, Orange County MOD users will have the option to request a same-day ride through a smartphone app called “TransLoc.” The app will provide passengers with an estimated pick-up time, track the MOD van’s location in real-time, and alert them when their ride is about to arrive.

With accessibility being a critical component to the program, MOD vans will accommodate riders with disabilities. Customers without smartphones will also be able to request or schedule MOD service by calling 919-245-2008 or by going online to http://ondemand.transloc.com. Wait times for MOD service will be subject to vehicle availability and demand.

“We are excited to offer this new service and provide Hillsborough with a safe, affordable, and comfortable travel option,” said Theo Letman, Orange County Transportation Services Director. “While we appreciate the comparisons to Uber and Lyft, I like to point out how our MOD service will differ. For one, MOD drivers are Orange County employees driving a County vehicle, not their own. They are vetted and trained to the same standards as our current operators. Our MOD vehicles, too, are clean, sanitized, and are serviced regularly. Though this program may look different, it is in line with our core values and the community-based transportation services we currently offer.”

Orange County’s MOD program will be implemented in partnership with TransLoc, a Ford Mobility Company. The initial MOD pilot is scheduled to run for six months through mid-August and will pick up and drop off riders within Hillsborough’s town limits and the Eubanks Park-and-Ride in Chapel Hill. If the program goes well, the service could expand and become a part of OCPT’s regular service. For more information about OCPT’s MOD program, please visit https://www.orangecountync.gov/MOD.

Test your knowledge of pop culture, books, music, and more. Register below or by calling 919-245-2525. Only one registration per household needed. Best for kids 8 and up.

Ariana Debose, Mandolin Orange, Branford Marsalis, Mike Wiley to perform March 11

Local Arts Organizations Join Forces to Rally Financial Support for the Arts

After nearly a year of closures and cancellations, the arts have suffered disproportionately from the destructive impact of the pandemic. For the first time ever, arts councils from Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties are joining forces to enlist support for the arts through a live event – Big Night In for the Arts. The regional fundraising initiative will broadcast live on WRAL and livestream online on March 11 at 7 p.m.

It will boast a super-star line-up, including Ariana DeBose, Tony-nominated actress/singer/dancer and Raleigh native; Mandolin Orange, nationally acclaimed folk music duo based in Chapel Hill; Branford Marsalis, three-time Grammy Award^® winner and internationally renowned saxophonist based in Durham; and Mike Wiley, nationally acclaimed actor and playwright based in Chatham County. Additional national and local artists from each county will be announced.

In partnership with WRAL-TV, Big Night In for the Arts will address the impact of COVID-19 on the arts, and highlight the missions of the four organizations that lead and support the Triangle’s local arts infrastructure. The fundraising event, taking place about a year after the first stay-at-home orders were implemented, marks a critical step forward in helping local artists and arts/cultural organizations begin their path to recovery. Dollars raised will go toward arts programming, initiatives for equity in the arts, and artist/arts organizations’ relief.

Arts supporters can join the effort prior to the event as sponsors or donate live during the event. Audiences and arts enthusiasts who have enjoyed the arts across the Triangle for years can make a gift to benefit the four counties collectively or designate which specific county they would like to support. Every dollar helps ensure the arts in the Triangle will survive and thrive long after this pandemic has lifted.

"The arts are the character and spirit of the Triangle region and a primary reason this is such a wonderful place to live," said Katie Murray, Director of the Orange County Arts Commission. "We are excited to join forces with our regional arts councils so we can give back to an industry that has given us so much."

For more information on the talented artists headlining this event, sponsorship opportunities, or to donate prior to the event, go to BigNightIn.org.

Safer CPR during a Pandemic: Orange County EMS to add LUCAS-3 Chest Compression Systems

Orange County Emergency Services has added five Stryker LUCAS-3 Chest Compression Systems to provide for safer and higher quality response to emergency calls that require Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

“Cardiac arrest resuscitation is a team effort,” said Kim Woodward, Orange County EMS Operations Manager. “This team is made up of law enforcement, fire and EMS providers and requires our highest level of response. In non-pandemic conditions there are often greater than 10 providers participating in the resuscitation.”

Woodward said personnel administering chest compressions must alternate every two minutes in order to provide high quality CPR. CPR compression devices, once applied, remove the need to utilize personnel for compressions and continue to provide high quality, consistent compression throughout the remainder of the resuscitation. In addition, the device makes transporting the patient, if necessary, a much safer endeavor.
Healthcare workers are the highest at-risk profession for contracting COVID-19, Woodward said. This risk is compounded by worldwide shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Resuscitations carry added risk to healthcare workers for many reasons. The administration of CPR involves performing numerous aerosol-generating procedures, including chest compressions, positive pressure ventilation, and establishment of an advanced airway. During those procedures, viral particles can remain suspended in the air with a half-life of approximately 1 hour and be inhaled by those nearby.

Click here for more information.

Animal Services Chosen for Cat Pawsitive Pro Program

Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) has been selected by The Jackson Galaxy Project (JGP), a signature program of Greater Good Charities, to participate in the 2021 class of Cat Pawsitive Pro, a life-saving initiative that introduces advanced, positive-reinforcement-based behavior training and enrichment to shelter cats. Supported by the Petco Foundation, this innovative training program aims to increase feline adoption rates as well as empower shelter staff and volunteers to maintain and improve cat “mojo.”

Jackson Galaxy, star of the television show My Cat from Hell on Animal Planet, and founder of JGP, developed Cat Pawsitive Pro with a team of feline behavior experts. Highlights of the program include:

Improving cat “adoptability” and feline social skills, particularly for shy or fearful cats and long-term residents
Enriching day-to-day life for cats in shelters with physical and mental activity
Promoting the human-cat bond
Teaching and empowering animal shelter staff and volunteers

Cats who are exposed to the reward-based training methods of Cat Pawsitive Pro gain confidence, experience reduced stress levels, and build connections with staff, volunteers and potential adopters.

A JGP feline behavior expert will lead the program for the shelter beginning February 1– April 30. Throughout the Spring, staff and volunteers from the select animal welfare organizations will participate in weekly seminars with their expert and will have direct access to the entire training team for specialized consultations about the cats in their care

Since 2016, more than 1,800 cats have been adopted during Cat Pawsitive program semesters, with hundreds more cats benefitting from being in the program and continuing their training on the road to adoption. To date, a total of 168 unique animal welfare organizations have participated in Cat Pawsitive programs and conducted over 31,000 training sessions, with over 1,600 staff members and volunteers taking part in the training of thousands of cats.

More information about Orange County Animal Services can be found at www.orangecountync.gov/animalservices or by calling 919.942.7387.

www.orangecountync.gov