coronavirus

Two of Michael A. Cousin’s brothers had COVID-19, and his cousin is currently fighting the virus with her husband. He said he can easily conjure up the faces of 10 different people he knows who have died from the virus.

Flashback to almost one year ago — April 2020. Gym doors were locked, soccer teams had their seasons halted and yoga classes were transferred online. That 5K you were signed up for? Cancelled. Time at the pool with your kids? Not so fast. Your weekly cycling class? Whoa there, pump the brakes.

Local officials are calling on students who rushed Franklin Street after last Saturday’s Carolina-Duke basketball game to quarantine and get tested regularly until the threat of transmission has passed.

Have you gotten your COVID-19 vaccination yet? Are you in the right tier that is currently eligible to be vaccinated?

How will Orange County recover from the COVID-19 pandemic? The Orange County Long-Term Recovery Group is offering its suggestions virtually this Friday and Saturday, and will allow the public to have a say in the plan moving forward.

If you live in Orange County and are 65 or older, you are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Linda Paylor was one of the first patients Monday morning as COVID-19 vaccinations began at the Friday Center for those 75 and older during Phase 1b of the N.C. vaccination program.

Orange County residents 75 and over can now get the COVID-19 vaccine. North Carolina has moved into Phase 1b Group 1 of COVID vaccine distribution, meaning individuals 75 and older are now eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. There is no requirement to have certain qualifying chronic conditions.

What was the biggest story in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and southern Orange County in 2020? There’s no question: the virus.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s modified “Stay at Home” order is forcing local businesses and residents to make changes, but Orange County law enforcement officials are responding with the same tactics they’ve used since March. Authorities throughout the county say they will rely on education to encourage voluntary compliance with an order that is difficult to strictly enforce.

The Orange County Health Department has announced its plan to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, breaking down the community into several separate tiers.

Ellis Smith describes himself as a people person who believes in Jesus and loves sports, fishing and the NC State Wolfpack.

No closing of Franklin Street for Halloween. No holiday parade and no Festifall.

UNC is convening a new advisory committee — comprised of students, faculty, staff and community members — to examine how to tackle the spring semester during the coronavirus pandemic.

Barely a week after the reopening of campus and following reports that 130 students already had tested positive for COVID-19, UNC announced Monday that it was moving all classes online starting Wednesday.

In March, state and federal authorities issued moratoriums on evictions and utilities cut-offs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. But in late July, nearly all those moratoriums ran out. Now, many Orange County residents are facing extreme financial pressures without those protections.

Despite requests from local residents to close UNC, concerned that students arriving at the university will cause outbreaks of COVID-19, the Orange County health director says she essentially can’t shut down the campus.

As UNC students are returning to campus this week, the Orange County Health Director is warning that the area “could quickly become a hot spot for new cases” of COVID-19.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Orange County has surpassed 1,000. A month ago, the number of cumulative cases in the county was below 300. At the beginning of July, the count was 750.

With COVID-19 cases rising sharply locally, the Orange County Commissioners will start requiring restaurants to be closed for the onsite consumption of food and beverages from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. They also will not be allowed to serve alcohol after 10 p.m.

After months of planning, the Chapel Hill Public Library launched its new curbside pickup program June 15. Now, three weeks into the program, the library is providing thousands of book lovers with the works they desire.

El Centro Hispano, along with statewide Hispanic media, is launching a NC Unida Contra El Virus campaign, designed to send unified messages to the at-risk Latino community to raise awareness about COVID-19 and reduce contagion.

Requests for emergency housing financial assistance have skyrocketed throughout Orange County, including a six-fold increase in Chapel Hill, since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent economic lockdown.

UNC has reopened its research operations amid general praise but with some concerns, particularly about insufficient testing and the planned full campus opening.

Need a mask, now that Orange County generally requires you to have one on in almost all situations? The towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill have got you covered.

Beginning June 12 at 5 p.m., it will be mandatory in Orange County to wear a face covering in most public situations.

The local office of El Centro Hispano has re-opened to the public, with restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has meant tragedy for many and hardship for almost all. Yet it also has given some the opportunity to make a real difference. That group includes Orange County resident Maria Joyce, a doctor with the Durham VA Healthcare System. Here’s her story. 

The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, which provides housing for those experiencing homelessness in Orange County, has moved a large chunk of its residents to local hotel rooms.