{"id":2173,"date":"2020-03-16T15:27:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T15:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?page_id=2173"},"modified":"2020-03-16T15:27:13","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T15:27:13","slug":"life-in-durham-transformed-by-the-virus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/life-in-durham-transformed-by-the-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"Scenes from an outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"
Durham COVID-19 cases rise slightly, mayor weighs more protective steps<\/strong><\/p>\n The number of Durham County residents diagnosed with COVID-19 increased only slightly, from 35 to 39 people on Friday, county health officials said. <\/span> During a question-and-answer session<\/a> with 9th Street reporter Jake Sheridan, Schewel urged Durham residents to keep a social distance and still help one another during this crisis.<\/p>\n While local officials focus on reducing the corona virus threat, Durham musicians are planning virtual concerts to fill in for the closing of live music venues, 9th Street reporter Victoria Eavis discovered.<\/a><\/p>\n Also on Friday, Duke Health officials confirmed that one of its employees tested positive for the illness. Duke officials did not disclose the person\u2019s role but stressed that the individual posed no risk to Duke Health patients. <\/span> The employee developed symptoms while away from work and is currently self-isolating at home, the written statement said. <\/span> Duke has not disclosed whether the testing has detected any COVID-19 cases. \u2014 Michaela Towfighi<\/span><\/p>\n At top: Durham Mayor Steve Schewel and City Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton at a City Hall press conference Friday afternoon. Photo by Corey Pilson<\/em><\/p>\n Mayor shutters gyms, theaters as COVID-19 count rises Durham Mayor Steve Schewel today ordered all gyms, fitness centers and theaters across the city to close<\/span><\/a> Friday, the latest local government move to slow the spread of COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\n Schewel declared a citywide <\/span>state of emergency<\/span><\/a> on Mar. 13, giving him the power to curb business operations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, <\/span>eight new Durham County residents<\/span><\/a> tested positive for coronavirus, bringing Durham County\u2019s total cases to 35, county health officials reported.<\/span><\/p>\n Schewel\u2019s directive to end in-person services at gyms and theaters mirrors similar orders across the country. On Monday, New York <\/span>closed all gyms<\/span><\/a> across the state, while <\/span>Texas<\/span><\/a> today closed all gyms, bars, schools and clubs. The shutdowns have reached parts of North Carolina too.<\/span><\/p>\n On Wednesday, <\/span>Mecklenburg County\u2019s public health director<\/span><\/a> ordered gyms, health clubs and theaters to close, affecting Charlotte and nearby communities. Today, <\/span>Buncombe County <\/span><\/a>\u2014 home to Asheville \u2014 mandated businesses where 10 or more people congregate to close, including gyms and theaters.<\/span><\/p>\n Some gyms in Durham had begun closing before the mayor\u2019s announcement. Fitness clubs like Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, and Duke University\u2019s recreational facilities are all shuttered.<\/span><\/p>\n But others had planned to remain open. Jack Wiggen, owner of Bull City CrossFit, shut down his group fitness classes today, but had hoped to stay open to individual clients, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very concerned,\u201d Wiggen said. \u201cWe\u2019re a very small business, and we don\u2019t operate at the volume of big gyms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n To hang onto some business, Wiggen will begin \u201cpersonally programming\u201d classes \u2014 workouts for members to do at home \u2014 online, he noted.<\/span><\/p>\n David Rubin, owner of CrossFit Durham, said he is starting virtual happy hours to maintain the community in his gym.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCommunity is a huge part of our business model,\u201d Rubin said. \u201cTrying to keep that going is really important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Though they don\u2019t know when their gyms will be able to reopen, both Rubin and Wiggen are preparing for a longer closure.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing everything we can to mitigate this,\u201d Wiggen said. \u201cBut we\u2019re worried for a long-term shut down. That would be a dramatic effect on all small businesses, not just us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Some Durham gym-goers are stepping up to support fitness clubs during this crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur community is rallying,\u201d Rubin said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had people un-cancel their memberships this week, because they want to make sure the business is there when this is all over.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s state of emergency is set to expire on Mar. 28, but could be extended if coronavirus continues to spread in Durham.<\/span><\/p>\n NCCU students stream from campus as dorms close<\/strong>North Carolina\u00a0Central University students and their families hustled to empty dorm rooms Thursday to meet a Friday deadline to move out.<\/p>\n The University of North Carolina system midweek announced plans<\/a> to close most housing on campuses across the state to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Students will continue their classes online. \u00a0That leaves Durham’s two largest college campuses without undergraduates. Duke University has shut down its dormitories and its students also will finish spring semester online.<\/p>\n Photographer Corey Pilson captured Central students’ rushed exodus above and below. His journalism is part of 9th Street’s coverage of the countless ways the coronavirus outbreak is\u00a0transforming Durham.Governor Roy Cooper’s order this week to close restaurant dining rooms and bars, for instance, will\u00a0hit Durham businesses hard<\/a>. One local owner is leading a drive to urge Cooper<\/a> to do more to help them survive.<\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>At City Hall, Mayor Steve Schewel said the city was mulling new restrictions such as a shelter-in-place order, 9th Street reporter Ben Leonard reports<\/a>. \u201cSocieties that have most effectively fought coronavirus have acted early,\u201d Schewel said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>\u201c<\/span>The individual had no patient care contact at Duke at any time in the course of their illness and no Duke patients were at risk at any time,\u201d according to a statement from health system spokeswoman Sarah Avery.
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\n<\/span>Duke Health is continuing its pilot <\/span>drive up COVID-19 testing<\/span><\/a> only for pre-approved patients.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>By Cameron Beach<\/span><\/p>\n