Coronavirus updates for Lee County | March 17: state orders bars/restaurants closed, county declares emergency

Cooper orders bars and restaurants closed effective 5 p.m. Tuesday:

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has ordered bars and restaurants statewide to close effective 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to a report in the News & Observer.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced he plans to order restaurants and bars closed except for takeout and delivery orders.

Cooper said his executive order would be effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday and would also include an expansion of unemployment insurance.

Several other states have ordered similar measures.

State of Emergency in Lee County

Lee County government on Monday night declared a state of emergency related to the coronavirus:

The County will activate a COVID-19 information hotline to help answer questions from the public related to the response and preparedness plans in place by Lee County. The hotline, which can be reached at (919) 352-3360, will be staffed with call takers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In addition to the information hotline, county government will activate the COVID-19 Emergency Update Line at (919) 718-4686. Updates will be provided at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday. The pre-recorded messages will be available in both English and Spanish.

Both the COVID-19 Information Hotline and the COVID-19 Emergency Update Line were activated on Tuesday.

Additionally, Lee County Government will continue to provide updates on the county website and on social media. The public may also refer to cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov and ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina for up-to-date and reliable information.

For additional information and questions, please contact Jamie Brown, Community & Governmental Relations Manager at (919) 718-4605 or jbrown@leecountync.gov.

Smith: Coronavirus ‘media hype’ aimed at ‘political outcome’

Lee County Commissioner Kirk Smith has said multiple times on social media that the coronavirus, and media coverage of the coronavirus, is part of an effort to “destroy the economy,” “disrupt the election” and “promote a political outcome.”