May 21. The Davidson Board of Commissioners called a special meeting to discuss the town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. and whether it should take a path different from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management and Mecklenburg County Public Health.

“Every community has unique characteristics and Davidson will adopt our policies based on the best possible outcomes for our town,” said Mayor Rusty Knox.

The town has made masks available at the Ada Jenkins Center and called on everyone to wear a mask in public. Meanwhile, Phase Two of reopening begins Friday at 5 pm. Dubbed Safer-at-Home, the second phase of reopening allows personal care services and restaurants to open but with new requirements. Restaurants, for example, can operate at no more than 50 percent capacity, with parties six feet apart.

Background

At the end of April, Mecklenburg County and the six towns, including Davidson, shifted from the countywide Stay-at-Home Order to the North Carolina statewide Stay-at-Home Order.

On May 8, Davidson moved to Phase 1 of reopening, aligning Davidson and the rest of Mecklenburg County with the majority of the State of North Carolina.

It’s all caused a lengthy discussion about how best to protect diverse communities.

Davidson itself is diverse: It is home to Davidson College, as well as The Pines, a senior complex with an outbreak of COVID-19 that appears to be under control.

In Davidson, how to do so meant staying in line with North Carolina and the county, or forging a different path.

The town has officially lined up with the county and the state.

Here’s the official message from Davidson:

The Davidson Board of Commissioners decided to strongly recommend the use of masks by the public in all spaces where social distancing is not possible. The town will begin a public awareness campaign that will include signage posted in many public spaces around town and sharing the message digitally on social media and through the town’s website and email channels.

The town board also requested that if businesses decide to require face coverings for employees and patrons, then they should post signage for public notification purposes. The town will also seek to make masks available for those who need them.

Masks are currently available at the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson at 212 Gamble Street. Please contact the center directly at 704-896-0471 for more information about how to pick up a mask. More details about other pick-up locations and their hours will be forthcoming.

As a reminder, whether you are wearing a face mask as encouraged or not, all individuals are also asked to observe social distancing as much as possible and wash their hands or use hand sanitizer often.

This plea is to ensure the safety of our community.

At the meeting, the board of commissioners also indicated that Davidson will follow Mecklenburg County and the State of North Carolina in the move to Phase 2 as recommended by county and state health officials.

Further steps will be taken within the Town of Davidson to ensure the health and safety of our residents as much as possible, such as the addition of hand sanitizer stations at various high traffic locations around town, providing businesses with signage to help their customers maintain the important physical distance that keeps the spread of COVID-19 down, and more.

The board will continue to monitor the situation closely in order to advocate for the best interests concerning the health and safety of Davidson residents and businesses as the COVID-19 crisis continues.