Mecklenburg County public health officials held a news conference to provide updates on the coronavirus Friday morning.
During the news conference, officials talked about the new COVID-19 stats for Mecklenburg County, preparations for the Republican National Convention, ALE enforcement on local bars, and how the coronavirus will impact the upcoming Panthers’ football season.
The Panthers first home game is scheduled for September 13th. Mecklenburg County Director Of Public Health Gibby Harris says they have been working with the Panthers to figure out what the in-person experience will look like. She went on to say that tailgating would not be an option at Panthers’ games this year.
Officials also announced the COVID-19 restrictions that are in place for the RNC. Every attendee reportedly had to take a COVID test before they could come to the convention and will have to take another test once they get to Charlotte, according to Harris. Everyone will be required to wear a mask and daily temperature checks and health screenings will be in place.
During the news conference, CMPD Deputy Chief Jeff Estes was asked if CMPD was looking into the situation that happened on August 20th at VBGB. According to the owner of VBGB, they were told last night by State ALE officers that they had to shut down, even though they have a full kitchen, due to Phase 2 restrictions. Estes says they are working “to ensure that have a good message for all of our business owners out there and that we’re saying the same thing.” Read the full post from the owner of VBGB here:
COVID-19 continues to impact the county’s Hispanic population at alarming rates. Local health officials say they are working hard to get the message out to the Hispanic community about safety measures, wearing masks, and getting tests.
According to the new statistics released on Friday, August 21st:
About 3 in 10 reported cases are Hispanic – most of whom are younger adults. As previously noted, some factors influencing this trend include:
- Targeted testing occurring in neighborhoods with lower access to care, some of which have larger Hispanic populations;
- Higher proportions of Hispanics working in essential jobs that make social distancing difficult;
- Significant household spread among large families; and
- Pre-existing disparities in other social and economic determinants of health, like poverty.
See full coronavirus stats for Mecklenburg County HERE.
