Brunswick County Coronavirus Update (March 25, 2020)

By City of Northwest | March 25, 2020

Key Points

  • As of March 25, there are 10 positive cases and 216 pending test sample results in Brunswick County
  • Travelers returning after domestic travel from areas with widespread community transmission, cruise ships, riverboats, or by air travel should self-quarantine at home for 14 days after returning
  • All Brunswick County parks remain open to the public at their regularly scheduled hours; restrooms will only be open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Thursday, March 26 to allow for our advanced disinfection/sterilization protocol
  • Brunswick County is under a state of emergency as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24
  • Brunswick County now requires individuals to contact county departments via phone or email first and to schedule appointments for in-person visits if necessary to support social distancing for our residents and team members
  • Testing is available in Brunswick County; if you suspect you have coronavirus symptoms, contact your primary medical provider first to determine if your symptoms warrant a test and if they provide tests; contact Public Health if you need assistance locating a provider to test.

BOLIVIA, N.C. – Brunswick County’s latest update on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is now available.

Brunswick County Test Results

Novel Coronavirus Test Reports in Brunswick County

Number of Test Samples Reported to the County356
Pending Test Sample Results at the State Laboratory or Private Laboratories216
Positive Test Results Reported to the County10
Confirmed Negative Test Results Reported to the County130

Statistics as of March 25, 2020 at 10 a.m.

As of March 25, there are ten positive cases of COVID-19 and 216 pending test results in Brunswick County.

Tuesday evening, Brunswick County received information about an individual from Cleveland County who tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting the area. This is a travel-related case due to residency and will not be included in Brunswick County’s test report.

The individual became symptomatic in Brunswick County and is currently self-isolating in the county along with a close contact who is self-quarantining. Public Health has already identified potential contacts to this individual and contact notification is being completed. Neither individual has contact with children in Brunswick County.

Brunswick County Public Health is in communication with Cleveland County Public Health to monitor these individuals during their self-isolation/quarantine. To protect individual privacy, no further information will be released.

Brunswick County provides its report numbers to the NCDHHS for its case count webpage. As of March 25 at 11 a.m., there are 504 positive cases (increase of 106 cases from the day prior), 10,489 completed tests (increase of 1,987 completed tests from the day prior). NCDHHS reported its first deaths associated with COVID-19 Wednesday. A person from Cabarrus County died on March 24 from complications associated with the virus. The patient was in their late seventies and had several underlying medical conditions. A second person in their sixties, from Virginia who was traveling through North Carolina also died from COVID-19 complications.

Public Health monitors all individuals who test positive and any individuals in self-quarantine on a regular basis.

Brunswick County will provide updates on any positive cases considered a low risk for community spread in its daily update unless a serious public health concern requires a separate release.

The County will report any positive cases it receives as positive rather than presumptive positive moving forward based on updated reporting standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and to follow reporting practices similar to the NCDHHS.

The County will share statistics on the number of test samples and final reports Public Health is receiving in these updates on our website to allow for transparency and efficiency. Tests are occurring in varying numbers each day and results can take several days to process and report back to the Public Health from either the state or private laboratories. Our team is actively responding to the novel coronavirus pandemic and having a dedicated, routine way to share test statistics will ensure we are providing everyone with the most accurate information.

Guidance on travel, self-quarantine measures

Older adults and domestic travelers with underlying health issues are encouraged to stay home, avoid crowded places, and non-essential travel.

Travelers returning to Brunswick County after domestic travel from areas with widespread community transmission, cruise ships, riverboats, or by air travel should stay home for 14 days after returning. Take the following steps to monitor your health and practice social distancing for 14 days after you leave the affected area:

  • Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever (temperature of 100.4 Fahrenheit or higher); watch for other symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath
  • Stay home and avoid contact with others; do not go to work or school during this 14-day period
  • Do not take public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares
  • Avoid crowded places and limit your activities in public
  • Stay six feet (about two arms lengths) away from others

NCDHHS’ guidance on travel asks individuals at higher risk to stay home, which means these individuals should not travel if it is not essential at this time. Even if individuals feel healthy and are not exhibiting symptoms, it is important that everyone follow these measures to better protect all our fellow residents, especially for those who have a high risk for severe illness, including those 65 years or older, those with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, or those with weakened immune systems.

The County has also received several questions about beaches and potential closures. Each municipality legally handles any issues regarding restrictions or evacuations. All beaches in Brunswick County are municipalities and need to be contacted directly for information regarding specific guidance and restrictions on visitors.

County parks remain open as usual; park restrooms will adjust hours beginning Thursday, March 26

All Brunswick County parks remain open to the public at their regularly scheduled hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the exception of Brunswick Nature Park, which is always open from 8 a.m. to dusk.

To continue to maintain a high standard of cleanliness in our park facilities, restrooms will only be open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Thursday, March 26. This adjusted time frame will give our team more time to clean the restrooms based on our advanced disinfection/sterilization protocol in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

As a reminder, all park visitors need to practice social distancing (approximately six feet between you and others) and cannot gather in groups—including children, teenagers, and young adults. These measures are necessary to keep each other as safe as possible. The County will continue to monitor the parks to ensure compliance with state mandates and guidelines.

How to Find Out If You Need a Test

Coronavirus tests are available in Brunswick County. If you suspect you have symptoms of coronavirus, you should contact your primary care provider first to alert them of their symptoms and have a physician determine if a test is required and if they provide tests. If your need additional assistance to locate a provider to test, you should contact Brunswick County Public Health for assistance.

Full details about testing in Brunswick County including information from Novant Health primary clinics and Dosher Memorial Hospital is at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirus/testing/

The County is operating a joint information center with a Public Health Call Line and email to answer residents’ coronavirus questions (available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). More information is also available on our website at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirus

Brunswick County Public Health Call Line

Individuals who have questions afterhours are encouraged to use the North Carolina 2-1-1 program or call the North Carolina Public Health Call Line, which has public health professionals available 24 hours a day every day to answer questions.

NC Public Health Call Line (Open 24/7)

  • 866.462.3821

North Carolina 2-1-1 Program

  • For COVID-19 questions, dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162
  • Sign up for updates by texting COVIDNC to 898211

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