In the wake of the announcement of two COVID-19 related deaths in neighboring Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg County Public Health is urging residents to comply with the Stay at Home Order, effective Thursday, March 26 at 8 a.m.

"It is critically important that our residents understand that all efforts should be made to comply with this order" said Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County Public Health Director, following the announcement of the Stay at Home order issued by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management.

The goal of our community should be to find a way to comply with this order rather than focusing on how they may be exempt from it. The higher rate of compliance to the Stay at Home order, the better chance Mecklenburg County has of containing the spread of COVID-19 and returning to normal operations.

As of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, there are 170 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County. This is in contrast to just two weeks ago when the first case was confirmed on Thursday, March 12.

Steps that everyone can take to slow the spread of COVID-19 include:

• Comply with the Mecklenburg County Stay at Home Order

• Follow proper physical/social distancing protocols by staying at least six feet away from others

• Cover your coughs and sneezes

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds
  
   

  For additional questions about the Stay at Home Order, residents can call (704) 353-1926 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  
  The best resources for accurate, updated information for our community is the County's website, MeckNC.gov/COVID-19, and the City of Charlotte's website, charlottenc.gov/covid19, in addition to the CDC's COVID-19 website, cdc.gov/coronavirus and State Division of Public Health's website.