Statement from Wake County Board of Commissioners Chairman Greg Ford and Vice Chair Vickie Adamson on County’s COVID-19 Response

As your elected representatives, it is important that we share with you the latest information available on what your county government is doing to protect the residents of Wake County and help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

We have the highest confidence in our county administration to manage this evolving situation in collaboration with our federal, state and local partners. The Board of Commissioners remains committed to supporting efforts to protect our fellow citizens.

Here are just some of the steps the county has taken to date:

• Our Emergency Management and Public Health Divisions are leading a coordinated county-wide response along with our municipal and community partners and their state counterparts. The focus of these efforts is to:
  • Contain the spread of the virus through proactive communications and prevention efforts;
  • Investigate all potential situations in which a member of the public may have been exposed to an infected individual; and
  • Share the latest, most accurate and relevant information with the public (to the extent that it doesn’t violate an individual’s privacy or interfere with our investigations).
• To provide the latest information to the public, we’ve established a COVID-19 section and FAQs on our website, found at: http://www.wakegov.com/covid19. This page is frequently updated as new information and guidance comes to light.
• County Manager Ellis has instituted twice-daily staff briefings, which provide the Manager’s Office, Public Health, Communications and Emergency Management staff to receive the latest updates on any cases within our community.
• Along with opening our Emergency Operations Center, we have established a hotline and call center to respond to calls and emails coming into the Public Health Division. If you have specific questions about COVID-19 and your risk, you can email covid19.questions@wakegov.com or call 919-856-7044. 
• We have added additional and more stringent cleaning procedures in high-contact areas of county facilities, and we’ve added sanitizing stations in county buildings.
• The Communications Office continues to field extensive requests from the media for statements, interviews and speaking engagements. We have activated our Joint Information System process, which enables staff to quickly disseminate information and collect requests from our municipalities and community partners such as the Raleigh-Durham International Airport and the Wake County Public School System. 

If you traveled to an area impacted by COVID-19 or you believe you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and you are having flu-like symptoms:

• Contact your doctor. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and explain your symptoms and/or recent travel.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Do not travel and avoid public places.

And we can all take practical, common-sense steps now to safeguard ourselves and those around us:

• Do not go to work or public places while sick. Do not take sick children to school or childcare.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay away from sick people.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

COVID-19 is a fluid situation, and our response continues to evolve. Through these steps and many others that our staff and partners are taking, Wake County is engaged and prepared to respond as needed.