Graham County’s 46-day curfew has came to an end.
Starting March 20, residents were banned from non-essential travel within county borders from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. However, as statewide COVID-19 restrictions slowly ease, members of the Graham County Emergency Management Coordination Committee opted in its May 6 teleconference to end the overnight suspension of travel immediately.
“It’s time to go ahead and withdraw the curfew,” Graham County Commission Chairman Dale Wiggins said. “We’ve basically stripped our emergency declaration down to only what we need for federal guidelines moving forward.”
Likewise, a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for part-time residents arriving in the county – as well as corresponding signage that greeted travelers at county borders – were also eliminated. All county accommodations – including hotels, motels, resorts, inns, AirBnBs, guesthouses, campgrounds, RV parks and any other short-term rentals – were also allowed to reopen Saturday, albeit with various levels of distancing and cleaning protocols in place.
Court update
Graham County Clerk of Court Tammy Holloway informed the committee that the new target date for court sessions to resume is Tuesday, June 2.
Plexiglass shields will be installed in the clerk office, at the security check-in at the courthouse and in the courtroom itself. Curtis Glass in Murphy provided the lowest quote for materials and installation in the clerk’s office and at the security checkpoint, which will come at a cost of $1,419.36. Quotes are still being compiled for the shielding inside the courtroom.
Holloway recently met with Graham County Health Director Beth Booth and Chief District Court Judge Richard Walker to discuss the best way to move forward with protocols. Walker did not feel the need to put barriers up at the bench – as most people do not get close enough to warrant a barrier – but wanted to see Plexiglass installed elsewhere.
“We want to get a barrier up in the courtroom, where defendants won’t be right on top of us,” Holloway said.
Amendments to court procedure could also include all judges wearing masks, more hand-sanitizing stations, several breaks – which would provide the opportunity for the courtroom to be sanitized – and only allowing a limited amount of people in the courtroom at a time. Holloway said that social distancing guidelines would dwindle the number of people present down to 28.
Those on the docket might also be required to check-in, then return to their vehicles before being called inside. Plexiglass could also be installed before government offices reopen to the public.
COVID-19 testing
Booth also clarified some confusion that has taken place during the coronavirus testing process, as antibody testing could require a second visit for confirmation.
“The biggest thing to understand about the antibody test is that if you have that test and it comes back positive for antibodies, you will have to get swabbed for coronavirus,” he said. “It will be a second contact for payment and insurance. That’s something to keep in mind.”
The committee has suspended its weekly meetings and will only convene as needed in the future.