PERQUIMANS Co., N.C. - The state of emergency for COVID-19 response is over for Perquimans County, the Town of Hertford and the Town of Winfall.
The state of emergency, which was put into place on March 18, 2020, was lifted at 8 a.m. Friday. It allowed local officials to impose additional restrictions within the county if necessary.
Officials say while they are ending the response phase of the pandemic, they are still working closely with Albemarle Regional Health Services (ARHS) as the area has moved into the recovery phase.
Since late December, officials say 24 mass vaccination clinics have been held and about 52% of residents 18 and older have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with about 46% being fully vaccinated. They added that most recent COVID-19 data, statistics, and trends reported by ARHS, along with reopening efforts at the state and federal levels, no longer constitute a state of emergency.
Emergency Services staff will continue to monitor the data and trends for any changes. In the event of a major change, a new state of emergency can be enacted by local officials at that time.
Even though the state of emergency has been lifted, supplies, resources and personnel can still be requested as needed.
Any important announcements regarding the pandemic in Perquimans County will be shared on the Perquimans County Emergency Services Facebook Page or the Perquimans County website.
While this change has been made locally, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper still has statewide executive orders in place that are enforceable. The most recent guidance that includes:
- Wearing a face mask or face covering while indoors (no longer mandated outdoors although it is highly recommended in larger groups).
- Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet.
- Mass gatherings limited to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.
- Following capacity limitations on certain businesses while meeting the current guidance of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Perquimans County Emergency Services Director Jonathan Nixon said, “This past year has been extremely challenging for our community and while COVID-19 is still present, we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you all for your continued support and for following the guidance set forth by state and local leaders to help us move forward.”
