Wilmington explores possibility of shelter in place order to stop spread of COVID-19

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — City leaders and health care professionals in Wilmington faced some tough questions about finding the balance between maintaining our health, and helping small businesses get back on their feet.

During a virtual Q&A Wednesday morning, Mayor Bill Saffo was joined by NHRMC’s Chief Physician Dr. Phil Brown, Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Natalie English and head of the African American Business Council Tracey Newkirk.

Saffo says the city is exploring the possibility of a shelter in place order, but no decisions were made.

Brown says COVID-19 is something we’ve never seen before, and we haven’t seen anything like it in a century.

“It’s not a time to panic, but you can expect to see those case numbers at least double every two to three days,” Brown said.

In those coming days, Brown says it’s extremely important to take as many precautions as possible to prevent further spread down the road.

“Everyone needs to conduct themselves in their day to day affairs as if every person they come in contact with is a host of COVID-19,” he said.

Leaders talked about finding that balance between maintaining our health and safety, while also helping so many small businesses get up off their feet.

“We’ve got to be really vigilant that we don’t let these precautions be worse than the virus itself,” Natalie English said.

But English says it’s hard to find that tipping point. Small businesses across the Cape Fear are in crisis mode as they’ve had to shut down to help stop the spread of COVID.

There’s not just fear of the virus, but of what the future of these businesses will look like afterwards.

“Yes, we are very concerned about the Coronavirus and the implications of that, but also having that broader conversation around, ‘What’s going to happen to my small business after this?'” Tracey Newkirk said.

Right now, there doesn’t seem to be a clear cut answer to that.

Brown compares Coronavirus to a hurricane, saying we’re just in those outer bands.

Mayor Bill Saffo emphasizes that point, focusing on the fact of the matter right now. He says we have to find a way to stop the spread of the virus, before we can start to recover.

“We need to take care of ourselves first,” Saffo said. “Be healthy first. We’re going to come out of this, but you can’t come out of it if you’re sick.”

No decisions were made during this discussion. Brown urges people to continue practicing good hygiene and taking physical distancing efforts seriously.