Mayor Hardy: "A curfew may be necessary at some point"
Photo by Bud Hardy / Neuse News
With over 56,000 deaths in the United States attributed to COVID-19, the balance between public health and personal freedom has put many governing bodies at odds with business owners and community members.
Lenoir County COVID-19 daily update for Monday, April 27
* N.C. confirmed cases: 9,142 (+1,090 or +13.5 percent since Friday)
* N.C. deaths: 306 (+37 or +13.8 percent since Friday)
* Lenoir County confirmed cases: 46 (+5 or +12.2 percent since Friday)
* Lenoir County recoveries: 9 (+3 or +50 percent since Friday)
* Lenoir County deaths: 4 (+2 or +100 percent since Friday)
* Lenoir County tested: 461 (+58 since Friday)
* Lenoir County negative tests: 386
* Lenoir County pending tests: 25
* Demographic age range for confirmed cases: 15-95
Lenoir County, with a population of roughly 56,000 people, accounts for 46 of the confirmed cases and four deaths. Governor Roy Cooper extended the Stay-At-Home order through May 8th and released a three-stage process to reopen the state through testing tracing and trends.
“The health and safety of people in North Carolina must be our top priority,” Cooper said. “This plan provides a roadmap for us to ease restrictions in stages to push our economy forward.”
Without the supplies and testing sites needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be hard in any North Carolina county to meet the guidelines set by the governor to reopen. According to Kinston Mayor Don Hardy, Kinston does not have the personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, or testing capabilities if the trend continues in its current rate of infection.
“We’d know more if we were testing like we should and had the needed supplies that the president says we have,” said Hardy. “That we don’t have. That is the key to opening the state is testing, contact testing, and tracing. We need the supplies to do it.”
Kinston has issued no additional restrictions than released by the state. Until the data shows a decrease in the number of COVID-19 infections, further actions may prove necessary to ensure the safety of the community, including a curfew if warranted.
“A curfew may be necessary at some point. We want to make sure we get it right the first time. Easing into it based on the numbers. Are the numbers going down? Are we testing properly?” said Hardy.
With many local residents still frequenting the businesses that are still open, it’s hard to contain community spread.
“People are doing what they want, and we need to do what is necessary to maintain safety and health. It’s a tough situation,” said Hardy.
While they have not placed a curfew in Kinston, the item is up for future discussion as a temporary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“The State of Emergency declared for Kinston enables the local government to impose restrictions and take actions to ensure the safety of the community,” said Hardy. “The declaration also allows the city to request funds to combat the emergency.“
There are additional benefits to declaring the emergency including authorities provided to local government and first responders to assess situations and appraise the needs of the community.
“Shortage of supplies, testing sites, and protective equipment are hindering the ability to test,” said Hardy. “We are looking at other sources for PPE and masks because we aren’t getting it from the federal government.”
