Barring a sudden uptick in data, Graham County could begin the arduous and time-consuming process of reopening this weekend.
With Gov. Roy Cooper’s Stay-at-Home Order expiring Friday – and the kickoff of a three-phase plan to get North Carolinians back in the groove of things beginning after the expiration – Graham will take the first step of establishing a sense of normalcy by reopening all accommodations, with a target date of Saturday in mind.
The county’s Emergency Management Coordination Committee decided during its April 29 teleconference to lift an order that was originally set in place March 17. Cooper’s executive order left some wiggle room for local governments to determine the fate of accommodations at the county level, and Graham opted to close all lodging establishments on the same day the county borders were voted to be closed.
The Graham County Tourism Development Authority later issued a list of guidelines for local accommodation owners to follow:
* Guests should be discouraged from traveling and/or staying if they have been in contact with an infected individual within the last 14 days.
* If a guest should fall ill, they should notify both the property owner and the county health department immediately.
* Owners should leave a 3-4 day window in between bookings to ensure proper cleaning can take place.
* Guests should arrive with all cleaning and medicinal supplies – as well as groceries – already purchased to limit the burden on the local supply.
* Guests should maintain social distancing and face mask protocols at both their lodging or in public.
* Guests and property owners should limit their amount of face-to-face contact.
* Property owners are encouraged to close gathering areas, such as fire pits, workout facilities or sport areas.
* Property owners are encouraged to post hand-washing and CDC signage where appropriate.
* Any accommodation owner should use proper CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
* Guests should be made aware of the closest emergency and health-care facilities.
“Tourism is our economic driver,” the release reads. “We want to be able to reopen, and we want to ensure not only your visitors when they come, but the local citizens as well, that steps will be taken to minimize the risk of infection for both populations.”
Furthermore, all accommodations are limited to the large-gathering guidelines issued by the state, which is 10.
Those numbers will not expand until at least phase 2 of Cooper’s reopening plan.
At press time Wednesday, Graham County’s curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. will remain intact.
The committee also discussed other actions, including:
* Primitive campgrounds can reopen after the executive order is lifted. Forest Service campgrounds will not reopen just yet, but roads that were locked will reopen.
* The swimming pool hopes to reopen, but it will depend on staffing and how reopening goes at the state level.
* The Graham County Board of Commissioners will hold its first in-person meeting since February on Tuesday, May 19, while obeying social distancing guidelines.