Durham, NC - March 31, 2020 - Seven Durham County residents have tested positive for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total number of cases among Durham County residents to 125. The Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) is working to complete contact investigations to determine if these individuals had close contact with others while symptomatic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines close contact as being within approximately 6 feet of a confirmed COVID-19 case for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Durham County COVID-19 Response
DCoDPH is coordinating with the North Carolina Department of Health Human Services (NC DHHS) as NC DHHS leads COVID-19 response efforts for the state. On March 14, 2020, Chair of the Durham County Board of Commissioners Wendy Jacobs signed a
Declaration of State of Emergency in Durham County. The declaration was made following President of the United States Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency and Governor Roy Cooper's Executive Order and the North Carolina State of Emergency issued in response to the pandemic state of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Saturday, March 28, 2020, Commissioner Jacobs signed a
Durham County Stay-At-Home Order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Durham County Stay-At-Home Order went into effect at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. The Order will remain in effect until April 30, 2020.
COVID-19 Mitigation Recommendations
DCoDPH and NCDHHS encourage everyone to take steps to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water, and for at least 20 seconds each time.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Do not reuse tissue after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
- Practice social distancing; maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet away from others
- Individuals at high risk should stay home to the extent possible. High risk individuals include those over 65 years of age; or with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes; or weakened immune systems
More Information
NCDHHS & DCoDPH offer COVID-19 hotlines for general questions and information related to COVID-19. For the DCoDPH hotline, call 919-635-8150 during our
business hours. For the NCDHHS hotline, call 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162. This hotline is available 24/7. Text COVIDNC to 898211 to receive text updates from NC DHHS. These hotlines can not provide direct medical services.
DCoDPH also offers daily emails providing specific guidance for different audiences. Click below to subscribe to one or more email lists:
Updated information may be found at any time on the DCoDPH website at
dcopublichealth.org, the CDC website at
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus, and the NCDHHS website at
www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus. Follow along on the DCoDPH (@durhamhealthnc), CDC (@CDC), and NCDHHS (@NCDHHS) Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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For media inquiries, contact:
Alecia Smith
Communications and Public Relations Manager, Durham County Department of Public Health