COVID-19 Updates: May, 12 2020
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In order to protect everyone’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic, Orange County Health Department is no longer accepting walk-in appointments. However, we are offering telehealth appointments to meet your immediate medical needs.
If you need medical attention please call (919) 245-2400 to schedule a telehealth appointment. Please do not walk into the clinic to request an appointment. If you are having a medical emergency, as always, call 911.
Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough hours:
- Mondays: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. telehealth and by appointment only
- Tuesdays: 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. telehealth and by appointment only
- Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. telehealth and by appointment only
- Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. telehealth and by appointment only
- Friday: 8 a.m. -Noon telehealth and by appointment only
Southern Human Services Building in Chapel Hill hours: - Mondays: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. by appointment only
- Tuesdays: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. telehealth by appointment only
- Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. by appointment only
- Thursday: 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. by appointment only
- Friday: 8 a.m. - Noon telehealth by appointment only
Dental Clinic at Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough:
The Orange County Health Department Dental Clinic is open for emergency appointments only. Due to current restrictions on patient and staff numbers, we are unable to accept walk-in appointments. Please call to schedule an appointment if you are having a dental emergency. Phones are checked every day and your call will be returned within 24 hours.
We have new protocols in place to ensure the safety of our patients and our staff, but unfortunately we are unable to do many procedures at this time due to a low number of masks, gowns and other protective measures. Please bear with us as we work to get our clinic back to normal operations. The health of our patients and staff is our number one priority and we look forward to reopening for all services as soon as we can.
Orange County Environmental Health
The Orange County Environmental Health division is open each day M-Fri 8-5 and closed for lunch from 1-2pm. A face covering is required for in-person business in the lobby of the West Campus Office Building. Visitors and community clients may contact Environmental Health during business hours at (919) 245-2360. Applications may be submitted in person, by mail, or by email. Payment is accepted as cash, check, or card in person; as check by mail; and with card by phone. Phone and email transactions are preferred.
For free cessation services and nicotine replacement therapy; call the SmokeFreeOC line at (919) 245-2480 or email smokefreeoc@orangecountync.gov
For free asthma and healthy homes services and resources, call (919) 245-2379 or email kbalakrishnan@orangecountync.gov
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Chapel Hill to Provide Assistance for Unpaid Court Fees |
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Originally posted by Town of Chapel Hill on May 7, 2020
Chapel Hill residents unable to afford court fees and costs are now able to apply for relief through the Criminal Justice Debt Program at the Town of Chapel Hill.
Applications are now being accepted at https://bit.ly/35DDX9O. The application will soon be available in Spanish, Mandarin, Burmese and Karen.
The Town of Chapel Hill initiated the pilot program to assist low-income people and to attempt to address the racial inequities of the criminal justice system. Failure to pay court costs harms low-income people when penalties, including suspended driver’s licenses and user fees, lead to lost jobs and other hardships. People of color are disproportionately impacted. Research shows that court fees and costs have created oppressive systems for people with limited resources and exacerbated inequities.
Applying for Assistance
Residents of Chapel Hill interested in applying for relief through the program can apply at https://bit.ly/35DDX9O or print a hard copy of the application (link to “Criminal Justice Debt Program Application” in Document Central under Police - Crisis Unit).
In order to be considered eligible for relief, applicants: - Must live within the municipal limits of the Town of Chapel Hill (if you are unsure whether you live within the town limits, please call 919-968-2806 for assistance)
- Must meet court indigency standards
- Cannot be currently incarcerated
- Must have outstanding criminal justice or traffic fees or costs from Orange County or the NCDMV
- Must demonstrate that he or she is on the road to stability
- Must have already pursued other avenues for debt relief (e.g., driver’s license restoration program)
- Must demonstrate that assistance will have an immediate impact on his or her stability or successful reentry into the community
Relief will be considered for post-conviction court fees and costs, deferred prosecution court fees and costs, and NCDMV license restoration fees. Fines and restitution payments imposed as part of sentencing and individuals convicted of violent felonies will not be eligible for the fund. An individual will only be eligible to receive assistance from the fund once every three years.
Program Background
Adopted unanimously by the Chapel Hill Town Council on Jan. 22, 2020 (view the Council meeting video at https://bit.ly/36nDJCk), the Criminal Justice Debt Program is expected to become a model for other municipalities. Council members Karen Stegman, Allen Buansi and Mayor pro tem Michael Parker proposed the program, with input from the Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department.
The Chapel Hill Police Department’s Crisis Unit is administering the program, and an advisory committee will meet quarterly to review applications and make recommendations. The advisory committee includes members from the Community Empowerment Fund, IFC, Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness, NAACP Legal Redress Committee, El Centro Hispano, an impacted community member, a victims advocate representative, a re-entry case manager, the Clerk of Courts office, and legal counsel.
More Information
If you have any questions about the application or program requirements, please contact the Chapel Hill Police Crisis Unit at 919-968-2806. |
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UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health:
COVID-19 Response
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The challenge that COVID-19 poses across the globe epitomizes the importance of public health education and research. At the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, students, alumni and faculty from across disciplines are working tirelessly to put learning into action in the face of a global health crisis.
Read more about the Gillings Community's COVID-19 efforts here. |
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North Carolina COVID-19 Cases
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 15,346 COVID-19 cases, 475 hospitalizations and 577 deaths as of May 12, 2020. For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every morning at 11 a.m.), please visit the NCDHHS website.
Orange County Health Department also has a COVID-19 dashboard webpage, with information on COVID-19 data in the county. The dashboard will be updated every Tuesday and Thursday.
There are currently 259 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Orange County, and 34 deaths.
Social distancing is extremely important to limit the spread of COVID-19. Included below are infographics in English, Spanish and Chinese that give tips on social distancing.
Orange County encourages residents to practice social distancing along with other steps, such as proper hand washing, to combat the spread.
Spanish, Chinese, Kinyarwanda, Chinese and Karen versions of the graphics below are available here.
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How COVID-19 Can Spread in a Community
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This message includes updates on the COVID-19 response from CDC. The COVID-19 Outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated on the COVID-19 Situation Summary as it becomes available. |
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Food Resources for Veterans
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Orange County Department of Social Services, in conjunction with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and the Gary Sinise Foundation, will be holding a food distribution for veterans and active duty military & spouses residing in Orange County and surrounding counties.
The event will be held on Wednesday, May 13th at Cedar Ridge High School and begin at 11:30 a.m. A limit of one box per household and two households per car will be implemented to ensure food can be distributed to as many as possible.
Residents will be required to present one of the following as proof of current or previous military service: - DOD ID,
- VA Healthcare ID,
- NC ID/ Driver’s License, or
- DD214
The event will allow residents to pick up their food while remaining in their vehicles via drive-thru service as staff members will be putting boxes directly into their trunks.
“What makes this food distribution special is that it’s being put together to help our Veterans specifically. It was a grassroots process that came together by connecting with different organizations that share the mission in serving our fellow Veterans. There’s nothing better than Veterans helping Veterans and this is why we do it,” said Ivan Sarabia, Veteran Services Officer for Orange County.
To ensure the safety of everyone involved, a full range of protective measures will be taken, including staff members wearing gloves and masks. To assist in these efforts, residents will be asked to stay in vehicles, ensure trunks are empty, and arrive no more than an hour before the 11:30 a.m. start time.
Numerous food distributions have taken place in Orange County to meet the needs of those impacted by the health pandemic; however, none have been targeted towards veterans and military service members. |
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Resources for Elder Adults Living in NC
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COVID-19 Community Resources
For more information on COVID-19 community resources in the county, please visit our webpage. Resources on specific topic areas, such as food access, education, housing, and others, are all accessible on our website, or at the links below.
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