New COVID-19 alert system says Mecklenburg is ‘yellow.’ Here’s what that means.

Mecklenburg County is in the lowest tier of a new North Carolina COVID-19 county-by-county alert system measuring the severity of coronavirus spread, which is trending up across the state. One neighboring county is designated in the “red.”

The new community alert system uses metrics from the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the North Carolina health department to categorize counties into three tiers of community spread: Yellow being significant. Orange is substantial. Red is critical.

Mecklenburg is one of 47 counties put in the yellow tier. Ten, including Gaston County, are designated red, meaning those are areas with the most severe spread and most likely to strain hospital resources with COVID-19 patients who need higher levels of medical care.

Red, orange and yellow: NC launches new county alerts to help curb COVID-19 surges

Based on the metrics, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday local government officials — as well as business, churches and other community organizations — should take action to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Counties designated as “red” or “orange” should consider adding restrictions to activities and travel beyond the current executive orders, Cooper and N.C. DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said at a news conference.

Statewide COVID-19 cases have risen to 314,207 cases on Monday, including more than 1,400 people hospitalized, according to the NCDHHS COVID dashboard, and 4,814 North Carolinians have died.

“These are numbers we can not ignore,” Cooper said. “We continue to tell people to wear masks and social distance.

“Every county in our state has widespread virus,” Cooper said. “By pinpointing counties with high virus transmission and asking everyone in those counties to work with us and do more right now to slow the spread of the virus, we can succeed.”

The new county-by-county alert system uses a combination of three metrics: case rate, percent positive of tests, and hospital impact within the county.

Mecklenburg County has had 38,733 COVID-19 cases and 421 residents have died related to the novel coronavirus since March, according to health department data released Tuesday.

An average of 300 new cases were reported daily in Mecklenburg County the first two weeks of this month, according to data released Tuesday by the health department. During peak in July, an average of 328 new daily cases were reported in a two-week span, according to health department’s figures.

Hospitalizations also are rising, according to county data. The average number of hospitalizations this week hit 172, the highest since early August.

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Based on the state’s data reported Tuesday, the county’s rate of new cases compared to population over the last two weeks would meet the “red” criteria but because Mecklenburg’s positivity rate falls below that category’s threshold and hospitals continue to have sufficient capacity, DHHS does not label Mecklenburg as “critical.” Cohen and Cooper said the state will update the map and color-coding the second week of every month.

In Gaston County, state data shows a critically-high number of new cases, the percent of positive tests at 8.7% and a “high” impact on available hospital resources.

With the new alert system, counties in the red or orange are asked to consider adopting stricter COVID-19 rules, some similar to what the state outlined in its earlier stay-at-home order. However, the recommendations are not mandates. Those guidelines included in Tuesday’s county-by-county report say people living in red and orange counties should: Avoid crowds gathering at bars and nightclubs and opt for takeout over in-person restaurant dining. Stop non-essential travel for work. Keep public interactions to a minimum and only for essential activities like school, work, caring for loved ones, grocery shopping, going to the doctor, or picking up medicine.

Cohen said every county in the state is experiencing community spread.

The hope is that North Carolina can avoid taking action like other states have such as tightening restrictions and travel mandates.

“It’s going to take all of us working together to avoid tightening restrictions like so many states are now doing,” Cohen said. “The COVID-19 County Alert System gives North Carolinians an easy way to see how their county is doing and know what they can do protect their family and neighbors and slow the spread of this virus.”

Last week, Cooper reduced the indoor gathering limit from 25 people to 10. But he extended Phase 3 coronavirus restrictions for the second time until Dec. 4, even as the state struggled with rising COVID-19 cases. North Carolina had reached a record-high seven-day average for new coronavirus reports: 2,405. Phase 3 has been in place since Oct. 2 and now has been extended twice.

This is a good point today to renew our efforts and enforcement and more community members emphasizing things they can do, Cooper said.

“Now is not the time to give up and let more people get sick and die,” Cooper said. “Your community may benefit or suffer from your commitment.

Ten North Carolina counties are in the red. Those are Alexander, Avery, Columbus, Davie, Gaston, Hoke, Mitchell, Sampson, Wilkes and Wilson counties.

Counties in orange are Ashe, Bertie, Bladen, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Cherokee, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Madison, Montgomery, Moore, Northampton, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Scotland, Stokes, Surrey, Swain, Vance, Warren and Yadkin counties.

Yellow counties are Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Beaufort, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Camden, Carteret, Chatham, Chowan, Clay, Davidson, Durham, Franklin, Gates, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pender, Person, Pitt, Polk, Stanly, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Union, Wake, Washington, Watauga, Wayne and Yancey.

Steps to stop COVID-19 spread

Here’s what Mecklenburg and other residents in the yellow zone can do:

▪ Wear a mask at all times outside the home and maintain social distancing with people who do not live in your household.

▪ Avoid large crowds and gatherings, host outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.

▪ Limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people.

▪ Avoid non-essential travel.

▪ Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms or if you think you may have been exposed.

▪ Participate in contact tracing.

▪ Download and share the slowCOVIDNC app. And, if you test positive, enter your pin into the app and alert your contacts.

▪ Get a flu shot

Here are some steps businesses, organizations and religious groups can take:

▪ Provide face coverings to employees and customers.

▪ Support employees staying home if they don’t feel well.

▪ Hold meetings, events and services online or virtually.

▪ Limit occupancy at indoor meetings, events and services and require face coverings.