Orange County Moves into Reopening Plan
Orange County will align with Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order taking North Carolina into Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, effective at 5 p.m. Oct. 2. The order allows bars, movie theaters and outdoor venues, among others, to open with capacity limits, allows K-5 schools to reopen under the state’s Plan A option and limits mass gatherings to 25 people indoors and 50 outdoors.
The governor and Secretary Mandy Cohen of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services pointed to the stabilization of several key metrics ― including hospitalizations, trajectory of confirmed cases, and positivity rates on COVID tests ― as supporting this move.
“Current trends in Orange County allow us to move forward with the state, but should we experience changes in positivity rates, more clusters or outbreaks or an increase in the number of cases, we will not hesitate to reinstate stricter limits on gatherings and other activities,” said Penny Rich, chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. “We must remain diligent and continue social distancing and wearing masks while in public until a safe, effective vaccine is readily available.”
More at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1434
Get Out and Give Back Orange County
Happy Weekend! It's a great time to explore and support the restaurants and businesses in our Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough communities.
Hear from our local elected representatives in the video posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj6pINnC7AE&feature=youtu.be
23rd Annual Carrboro Music Festival Goes Virtual
The Town of Carrboro will present the 23rd Annual Carrboro Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3-4, 2020. This year's event will be presented in a virtual format with a combination of live and pre-recorded music featuring 100 performances with an eclectic mix of genres.
On Saturday, the virtual event kicks off at 2 p.m. with four consecutive live performances from the Century Center. At 2:10 p.m., four additional live streamed performances will kick off from the Cat's Cradle.
On Sunday, live streams will begin at 1 p.m. Live video performances will be streamed from The ArtsCenter, the Cat's Cradle (Main Stage and Hip-Hop Stage), and the Carrboro Century Center. Music will also be available over-the-air, thanks to 97.9 The Hill. Beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aaron Keck will host performances that will be available locally via 97.9FM and 1360AM and online to a broader audience via their on-air stream at chapelboro.com.
Links to all performances will be available at www.carrboromusicfestival.com once they begin.
Celebrating Halloween Safely During a Pandemic
The Orange County Health Department is offering guidance on how to celebrate Halloween without increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19. This guidance discourages traditional trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating where treats are handed to children or children take candy from a shared bucket.
“Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses,” Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said. “In-person Halloween festivities, and traditions such as trick-or-treating, pose risks to participants. It is impossible to know who has COVID-19 or who has been exposed to someone with the virus, making it both advisable and necessary to protect yourself and others by choosing safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween.”
More at http://townofcarrboro.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1433
Council Remote Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 6
The Carrboro Town Council will hold a remote meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The agenda will be posted at https://carrboro.legistar.com/
Email publiccomment@townofcarrboro.org to make comment or watch live stream at https://carrboro.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx or on cable channel 18 in Carrboro city limits.
Recreation Programs October 2020 Newsletter
The Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources Department publishes a newsletter highlighting events and courses featured for the month ahead.
View the October 2020 issue at http://townofcarrboro.org/DocumentCenter/View/1913/Monthly-Events-Newsletter?bidId=
Fire Prevention Week: "Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!"
Orange and Chatham County Fire Safety agencies are teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!”
The Oct. 4-10 campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the U.S.
See materials here to prepared by local agencies to inform our community about cooking hazards, the dangers of unattended cooking, and precautions they can take to prevent cooking-related fires.
COVID-19 Testing Available
The Orange County Health Department offers regular testing events, including:
- Every Wednesday ― 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the R-7 Parking Lot, 725 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Chapel Hill.
- First Friday of each month ― 1 to 5 p.m. in the parking lot directly in front of the Whitted Human Services Center, 300 W. Tryon St. in Hillsborough (starting Oct. 2).
- Third Saturday of each month ― 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lattisville Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1701 Jimmy Ed Road in Hurdle Mills
- Fourth Saturday of each month ― noon to 4 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael St. in Chapel Hill
Testing will be drive through or walk up. Anyone can receive a test regardless of whether they are showing symptoms or are a close contact of someone positive for the virus. Registration is on site, and the nasal swab tests are billed to insurance or provided free to those without insurance.
The County is partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill to offer weekly evaluative testing to university employees and on- and off-campus students at the Wednesday events in Chapel Hill.
For up-to-date testing information, see the county’s COVID-19 Testing page.
The 203 Project Drop-In Sessions
The Town of Carrboro invites you to drop-in sessions to learn more about The 203 Project, which includes Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department programming space, the Orange County Southern Branch Library, WCOM, and more! Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources Department staff will be available at these events to provide information about how their department will be incorporated into the project and to answer questions.
Choose one of the following (or attend both) sessions:
- Thursday, October 8th from 6 – 7 p.m.
- Friday, October 30th from 10 – 11 a.m.
These sessions will be held virtually via videoconference.
More information about the project can be found at http://townofcarrboro.org/1151/The-203-Project
If you have any questions about the project or would like to attend one of these events, please contact Patricia McGuire, Planning Director via email at pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org, or call 919-918-7324 for information.
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