NC bars are closed at least until the end of June when Phase 2 expires

June 9. By Dave Yochum. Sufficient testing to match a “rapidly declining positivity rate” while maintaining social distancing are among the top measures that can be taken to safely open the economy and prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, says Dr. Howard Forman, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine.

“If the economy is opened too early there would be the development of a new wave and a need for a second shutdown,” says Forman. He founded Yale’s MD/MBA program and directs both the Yale School of Public Health’s Health Care Management program and the Yale School of Management’s Executive MBA program.

FORMAN

Data coming out of the North Carolina Dept. of Health & Human Services show a disproportionate level of COVID-19 among people of color. The most recent data from the NCDHHS shows 41 percent of COVID-19 cases statewide are in the Hispanic community while African Americans account for 34 percent of COVID-19 deaths.

Nationwide, COVID-19 mortality rates are 2.6 times higher for African Americans than for whites.

Forman says the virus is uncovering the social determinants of health, including access to health care, that affect black and brown communities.

“Transparency and to settle for nothing less” are key to bringing the virus under control, Forman said.

To be able to execute “targeted and effective interventions,” it is key to set up better reporting systems and processes.

In spite of lawsuits from bar owners as well as gym owners—they were not allowed to open during Phase 2—it turns out North Carolina ranks 21st among states based on the stringency of COVID-19 restrictions, according to a new WalletHub survey.

Metrics include:

Large Gatherings Restrictions: Triple Weight

Strictness of “Shelter in Place” Order: Quadruple Weight

Reopening of Restaurants and Bars: Quadruple Weight

Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses: Double Weight

Workplace Temperature Screening: Full Weight

Requirement to Wear a Face Mask in Public: Double Weight

Bottom line

The NC death rate ranking is No. 25, almost exactly in the middle of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The state moved into the second phase of resuming business and social activities during the pandemic in May, allowing restaurants, breweries and wineries to begin operating at half capacity. Bars and gyms must remain closed until June 26, when Phase 3 is tentatively set to begin.

Meanwhile, the NC Bar and Tavern Association is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctions against Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order 141, which has prevented bars from reopening due to the coronavirus. Gym owners are also suing the governor.

The lawsuits highlight the political differences around both shutting down the economy and reopening it.

TARKO

“The economic costs of the lockdown have been so severe that it is almost certain we will reopen prematurely, from a health perspective,” said Vlad Tarko, a professor, Department of Political Economy and Moral Science at the University of Arizona.

WalletHub: Top 10 States by COVID-19 restrictions