With 142 cases of COVID-19 now confirmed in Mecklenburg County, officials have just issued a sweeping ‘Stay at Home Order‘ in attempt to stop the widening spread across the Charlotte region.
Beginning on Thursday at 8am, all Mecklenburg County residents are “restricted to shelter at their places of residents. All persons may leave their residences only for Essential Activities, Essential Governmental Functions, to operate Essential Business”. Residents will still be allowed to go shopping for food, drugs, and hardware, pickup take-out from a restaurant, go to the hospital (or vet), and get exercise (as long as you keep 6 feet between you and others).
Beginning on Thursday at 8am, all “non-essential” business and operations are required to immediately cease all functions (“essential” businesses are urged to remain open, including; hospitals, veterinarians, essential infrastructure, essential government, restaurants for consumption off-premises, media, gas stations and auto repair facilities, financial institutions, hardware and supply stores, critical trades, mail delivery, educational institutions, laundry services, childcare for exempted employees, supply chain functions for food and critical products, hotels and motels, and funeral services).
The order concludes by warning; “any person violating any prohibition or restriction imposed by this proclamation as authorized by the Joint Proclamation of State of Emergency shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor in accordance with G.S. 14-288.20A.”
For additional information, you can read the complete Stay At Home Order here.