Buncombe County preparing ‘stay home, stay safe’ order

Measure aims to mitigate spread of COVID-19

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo

A “stay home, stay safe” order by Buncombe County, designed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by placing additional restrictions on large gatherings and businesses, could be introduced March 25. 

Fletcher Tove, the Emergency Preparedness Director for the county, made the announcement during a press conference today. 

“Several models, specific to North Carolina, are showing that the small window for having an impact on mitigating the spread of COVID-19, is coming to a close,” Tove said. “With that in mind, Buncombe County Public Health is finalizing an additional supplemental declaration to be presented to leadership later this week.”

The order will place further limitations on large gatherings, according to Tove, while expanding mandated closures of businesses. The action will also enact guidelines on essential and non-essential travel. 

“The intent of this declaration is to reduce, as much as possible, any opportunity for close contact in our community over these next few critical weeks,” Tove said. “Further information on this declaration will be made available tomorrow.”

Tove implored area residents to take the threat of the virus seriously. 

“You may think you can make it through OK, but you’re also putting your grandparents at risk,” he said. “This isn’t about you; this is about our community as a whole.”

Local residents should be prepared for continued disruptions to their everyday lives, Tove added, before asking consumers to shop responsibly. 

“Don’t run to Ingles and buy six months of toilet paper. Don’t buy out all of the meat to throw in your freezer,” he said. “Not everyone has the resources or schedules to keep up with these panic buyouts of essential goods.”

The supplemental order could place restrictions on short-term rental accommodations, according to Tove. The department is reviewing measures for industrial plants and other manufacturing operations, as well. 

“We want to minimize as many opportunities as possible for the close-contact criteria -- within six feet, for 10 minutes or more of another person,” he said.