Records crowds are expected at North Carolina beaches this holiday weekend, and health experts offer suggestions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus for those ready to put their toes in the sand.
Public Health
Amid Hardship, Lockdown Curbs Energy Use
Coastal electric cooperatives have taken measures to help members keep their lights on during the stay-at-home order, which researchers say has reduced emissions and improved air quality.
Water Plant Operators On Seven-Day Stays
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority officials is stationing staff at its water treatment plants for weeklong periods and provided campers for their long stays to protect the safety of operators and Wilmington’s drinking water.
Lab Staff Use Printers to Equip Responders
Amid the pandemic, researchers and educators at Carteret County institutions are using their labs’ 3D printers and plans available online to meet the expected need for personal protective equipment for first responders and health care workers.
Professor’s Graphic Simplifies Disinfecting
Rachel Noble, a professor of public health microbiology at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, has created an infographic to provide to the community accurate information about disinfecting at home with readily available materials.
GenX: Looking Closer At Chemours’ Plan
While Chemours says it’s in compliance with state laws and a 2019 consent order, comments collected by NCDEQ show many are unsatisfied with the response by the company responsible for PFAS contamination in the Cape Fear region.
Outer Banks’ Gen Z Responds to Lockdown
Young people on the Outer Banks who may have once thought they would be unaffected by the pandemic are now coping with disruptive changes in their formerly highly social lives, just as they were set to graduate or begin careers.
Seafood Available, Buyers Are Not: COVID
As the lockdown to stem the coronavirus pandemic appears more and more to be a long-term situation, those in the fishing and shellfish industry and related businesses are struggling to find markets for their catch.
Strapped Industry, Towns Plead For Relief
Legislative hearings this week in Raleigh on the impact of the coronavirus featured a litany of losses across all sectors of the economy, but none as quickly or deeply felt than in the areas of food service, hospitality and travel.
Coastal Governments Enact New Restrictions
As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rises statewide, coastal counties and towns are enacting new measures and restrictions to align with Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home order and limit the virus’ spread.
Outer Banks Folk Prep for the Unknown
Outer Banks residents, seasoned by threatening storms, are no strangers to preparedness, but although there’s some familiarity in the new routine, the threat of COVID-19 is unlike anything before, and health care capacity could be tested.
COVID-19 Forecast Dire; Responses Vary
As COVID-19 cases increase in rapid acceleration and health officials warn the public to take steps, some beach communities up and down the coast are responding differently to the public health threat.
Officials Take Steps to Curb Virus’ Spread
Officials at the state level and in coastal counties have announced measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus as residents and business owners face increasing anxiety over their health and finances.
School Boards Eye Filtration to Remove PFAS
Schools in Brunswick and New Hanover counties are moving to install water filling stations and reverse osmosis filters to protect students from industrial contaminants found in drinking water.
Not All In-Home Water Filters Equal: Study
A new study finds that under-the-sink reverse osmosis systems work best at removing “forever chemicals,” but they aren’t cheap.
PFAS Found in Biodegradable Food Packaging
Biodegradable paper plates and food packaging may seem environmentally friendly, but recent studies have found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in compost that includes food containers.
