Brunswick County declares a state of emergency due to COVID-19

By City of Northwest | March 24, 2020

BOLIVIA, N.C. – Brunswick County Board of Commissioners Chairman Frank Williams has issued a state of emergency due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

A copy of the declaration is at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Executed-SOE-3-24-2020.pdf

The declaration covers unincorporated Brunswick County. Brunswick County Government offices remain open for normal business hours and public access to services is subject to reasonable restrictions as determined by the county manager with consultation of the health director to limit unnecessary in-person contacts.

It also restricts public access in accordance with Governor Roy Cooper’s Executive Order No. 117 as further amended by Executive Order No. 120 restricting mass gatherings of 50 people or more and states that the County will follow any future amendments from the governor concerning mass gatherings.

It does not include restrictions or prohibitions involving evacuations, curfews, alcohol or weapons.

“The COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly throughout the nation and world, and I implore all Brunswick County residents to take it seriously,” Chairman Frank Williams said. “This is not a time to panic, but to finalize preparations and take appropriate precautions. As of today all known cases in Brunswick County are travel-related, and at this time there do not appear to be any cases of community spread in Brunswick County. Let’s do our part to keep it that way. This means practicing social distancing, adhering to the directives issued by our state officials and beach towns, and going the extra mile to protect ourselves and those around us. Even if you feel fine, you don’t want to be the one who shares this virus with someone who is more vulnerable. Let’s all exercise the personal responsibility and common sense to do our part to stop the spread of this virus and minimize the chance of community spread in Brunswick County.

“Additionally, given that all known COVID-19 cases in Brunswick County are travel-related, we strongly encourage residents to avoid non-essential travel outside the County and to refrain from inviting out-of-county guests to visit you. If you do travel and have prolonged exposure to others while traveling, we ask you to responsibly self-isolate for fourteen days upon return.”

If other measures become appropriate, this proclamation will be amended.

Brunswick County has prepared for the COVID-19 virus the past two months and has actively been working on response to the pandemic the past few weeks. The County opened a joint information center and initiated a partial activation of the emergency operations center Friday, March 13.

Brunswick County Government Offices remain open for business during normal business hours.

As of March 23, Brunswick County requires individuals to contact county departments via phone or email first and to schedule appointments for in-person visits if necessary. More details are at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/health/coronavirus/county-contact-information-virtual-services/

Brunswick County encourages residents to find and share the most accurate information about COVID-19 from the CDC, NCDHHS and Brunswick County. You can find details on our website and links to community assistance resources at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirus

You can also call or direct coronavirus-related questions to these channels:

Brunswick County Public Health Call Line (open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

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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