COVID-19 Updates: May, 14 2020
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Additional Details on Phase One of NC Reopening |
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On Friday, May 8th at 5 p.m., North Carolina and Orange County moved into Phase One of reopening. The Stay at Home order remains in place with some modifications. Here is what Phase One means for our state and county:
Commercial activity
- People can leave home for commercial activity and more businesses are open.
Retail
- 50% capacity allowed with cleaning and social distancing
Gatherings
- 10 person limit- gathering outdoors with friends allowed
Childcare
- Childcare centers open for working parents or those looking for work
Teleworking
Bars and Restaurants
Barbers/ Salons/ Massage
Theatres, Music Venues, Bowling Alleys
Gyms
Playgrounds
Visitation at Long-term Care Centers
*Worship Services and Funerals
- *Outdoor services allowed, with no more than 10 people.
State Parks and Trails
- Opening Encouraged Face Coverings Encouraged
* The Orange County order differs from the state order in that gatherings shall continue to be limited to 10 people. The NC Executive Order says: Places of worship may hold services that exceed the Mass Gathering Limit of ten people if those services are held outdoors in an unenclosed space and if attendees follow Recommendations to Promote Social Distancing and Reduce Transmission. |
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Feeling Overwhelmed? Stressed?
Emotionally Worn Down?
Here's Why (and some tactics to help) |
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Originally published by Appreciation at Work, May 11, 2020.
Author, Paul WriteAre you (like me) feeling overwhelmed? You are “tired of this.” You don’t know how to make decisions because you don’t know what information to believe? Are you sick of all the “newness” in your life, and the constant adjustments you have to make as a result?
Welcome to life in the USA COVID-19 2020. Stressed. Emotionally drained. Feeling unsettled. All of these reactions are normal, given what is going on around us. But they still aren’t fun.
What’s Going On-
Let’s take a quick look at the factors that have turned our lives upside down:
1.Unpredictability and instability. In general, we like our lives to have a sense of predictability and stability. (Too much, however, and life becomes boring and feels stagnant.) We like to be able to make plans. Predictability gives us the illusion of control – that we know what is going to happen. That’s why kids like routines and knowing “what we are going to do” – they aren’t in control of much in their lives, so at least knowing that Friday night is pizza night helps them feel more stable.
Our lives, obviously, have become hugely unpredictable – with regards to health issues, our jobs, the kids’ school schedules, the economy, when stay in place orders will be lifted (and for whom). The RESULT? an overall sense of instability, lack of ability to plan for the future or even next week, and a huge drain on our emotional resources.
2.“Upset apple cart” – overwhelmed by newness. New daily schedule for you, for your spouse, for your kids, for everyone you know. New rules and regulations – where you can go and can’t, rules for interaction with others. New ways of doing daily life – meals, shopping, exercising, relaxing. A lot, if not most, of the various aspects of our lives have “new” intruding into them. (While I recently wrote about the importance of newness in our lives, “enough is enough”!) The RESULT? A sense of instability in our daily routines and a huge drain on our emotional resources.
3.TMI (too much information) & unsure what to believe. Wow, did you ever realize how overwhelming it would become when seemingly everyone wants to share their thoughts and opinions on virtually everything — at every opportunity? Not only are we getting hourly updates about COVID-19 stats – for the U.S.; for NYC; for your state / county / city; for Italy, China, Spain, Turkey, Russia and India – but we get to hear lots of people’s ideas and opinions about what should be done; what should have been done; what’s going to happen to “the curve,” to the economy, to Major League Baseball, …ad infinitum.
Add to this overwhelming amount of information the fact that much of it is conflicting, and, as a result, we don’t know which information to believe. The RESULT? Confusion, inability to know how to make decisions, and a huge drain on our emotional resources. (See a theme?)
What to Do-
Being committed to trying to live a reality-based life, I think we need to:
Accept we are not in control of a lot of factors in our lives. We, as individuals, don’t control the weather, the global economy, decisions made by governmental authorities, our health (to some degree), what our employer decides, etc. If we don’t accept this fact, we will wear ourselves out trying to control issues not in our control. RESULT? Emotional exhaustion.
Manage the amount of newness and change in our lives. Build routines and schedules (for yourself personally, at work, and for your family). Make some aspects of your life “automatic,” so you don’t have to make a lot of decisions that aren’t currently that important – what you are going to eat for breakfast and lunch, when you will take breaks from work, and so forth. For most of us, now is not the time to consider building a new home, or making some other major change in your daily life.
Limit the amount of information you take in and determine a process for getting the most accurate information you can. Curtail the amount of “news” (broadly defined) you listen to, watch or read. Find some sources that you generally trust and use those to give you the information on which you base your decisions.
Set shorter timeframes for planning ahead. Life circumstances are changing incredibly rapidly. Trying to make plans for a year (or even 6 months) from now is essentially impossible. As much as possible, keep your plans closer in (1 – 2 weeks), making contingent plans after that (Plan A, Plan B, …).
Keep the big picture in mind. While the encouragement to “be thankful” can become irritating at times or feel superficial, in reality the principal is true. Most of us are far better off than individuals in the developing world with regards to daily life circumstances. We have shelter. We have clothing. We have food. Reminding ourselves of these facts doesn’t solve the challenges we are facing, but they do help us keep perspective.
Finally, “hang in there!” – which is the informal way of saying: persevere, take care of yourself and those around you, and take one day at a time. For most of us, doing so will help us get through this to the other side.
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North Carolina COVID-19 Cases
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 16,507 COVID-19 cases, 507 hospitalizations and 615 deaths as of May 14, 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 263 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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CDC | Stay Here-O's | Coronavirus Response
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CDC is excited to share this fun, family-centered campaign that arose from Ad Council research of audiences, and a need to provide simple tips and guidance for what parents can do to help their families stay safe. It’s expected to get a lot of media attention and prominent use. All the creative work and the media channels and platforms are provided on a donated basis to this national COVID-19 campaign by the Ad Council and carry the CDC logo.
- Hill Holliday created digital videos, banners, TV spots, and social graphics to help drive awareness among families around household cleanliness, hygiene, and social distancing.
- On May 6th Extreme Reach will send out the TV public service announcements (PSAs) to all broadcast stations and networks across the country. Extreme Reach is the system from which stations receive ads for placement.
- Meredith Corporation will run a parent-centric print ad in People and Entertainment Weekly, providing tips on hand-washing, physical distancing, and checking in with their kids.
- Walt Disney Television is leveraging the “Stay Here-o’s” assets to create social content that addresses children’s mental health during the pandemic.
- Wordsworth+Booth has developed three new radio spots including a song, educating parents about the ways to protect their families, and keep them safe.
- Amplifier.org is running a global open call to source COVID-19 artwork and will turn select pieces into PSAs for use in digital outdoor, print, and static banners. The first round of assets includes custom artwork from renowned independent artists Shepard Fairey and Thomas Wimberly.
- The Washington Post has created a print ad running in the publication to support the #AloneTogether initiative. Additionally, WP Brand Studio assisted the Ad Council’s research report “Coping with COVID-19,” measuring shifts in public perceptions among various demographics amidst the pandemic.
WATCH HERE
LISTEN HERE |
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The DIY Face Shield Project
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A neighborhood in North Carolina started a conversation on their listserv about the shortage of face shields at hospitals. One of the neighbors put his mechanical engineering skills to use to start a production line. Now the entire community is coming together to make face shields that are making their way all over the country to hospitals who desperately need them.
Learn more about the DIY Face Shield Project here. |
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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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