Monday, March 16
3:05 p.m. On Sunday, Starbucks announced that its U.S. and Canada stores would close their dine-in areas and patios while shifting to a "to go" model.
Marge Johnson, right, and her friend Judy Karpinski wait in a long drive-through line at the Starbucks located off Oleander Avenue.
On Monday, employees at the Starbucks off Oleander Ave. had stacked many of its tables and chairs; the drive-through line wrapped around the building.
3:20 p.m. Hayden Godusi, left, and Fisher Ramsey bike to Empie Park to play tennis on their first day of canceled class following Governor Roy Cooper's weekend mandate to close schools across the state in order to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Fisher Ramsey, left, and Hayden Godusi, both sophomores at Cape Fear Academy, get ready to play a round of tennis at Empie Park on their first day of canceled classes.
We have online school for two weeks, which is going to be pretty easy, I think. It’s a lot less work than normal school. So we’re kind of pretending it’s spring break for two weeks, almost. A week ago, we didn’t even think it was possible. -Fisher Ramsey, sophomore at Cape Fear Academy
3:37 p.m. Jenny Crittenden, second to right, a kindergartener at New Horizons Elementary School, said she was completing her schoolwork at home during the governor-mandated school shutdown.
4 p.m. New Hanover County Manager Chris Coudriet before a press conference on Monday afternoon at the county government building.
A woman communicates via sign language for the cameras as New Hanover County Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman gives residents an update on the county’s efforts related to the novel coronavirus.
On Monday, New Hanover County Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman confirmed that 28 tests had been taken in the county but zero confirmed cases of Covid-19. Just two days later, she announced the county's first presumptive positive case of Covid-19, and an increase of total tests to 65.
As of today, our public health department is aware of 28 Covid-19 tests that have been taken in New Hanover County. Two tests have gone from Public Health to the state, and are pending; 26 tests have gone through private labs from physicians' offices. There are a handful of tests pending currently. -New Hanover County Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman
The walkways next to McNeill Hall, empty of students Monday afternoon after the University of North Carolina Wilmington extended its spring break through March 23, at which time nearly all classes will resume via online instruction or other means in response to the novel coronavirus.
5:30 p.m. Clockwise from top left: Artist Johnny Bahr III enters his studio's building on the corner of Market and Front Street; Bahr shows a piece he created called "Virus," which illustrates how word and misinformation can spread and become convoluted through social media; Bahr shows his website advertising the limited two-week release of the print, mirroring the incubation period required to see if someone has the virus, he said; Bahr at Growler's Tavern on Saturday night wearing a hazmat suit.
It's a piece to commemorate this crazy time that we're living in. And I think art tells our story. You look at history, that's what lives on; it's the sign of our times. It documents our history -- books, journalism, anything that's written down or documented. This seemed like a perfect time to release [this piece]. The hands and the phone says something about it all, how word spread out, and misinformation can spread, and how those things do become convoluted. We'll see; it'll be a social experiment. -Artist Johnny Bahr III
5:50 p.m. Friends at Slainte Irish Pub a day before bars and restaurants are ordered by the governor to close their dine-in areas and barrooms.
It's a Monday Funday; we're off [work] together and not lettin' all the stuff that's going on affect our daily lives. -Kelley Moore
6:40 p.m. Usually crowded on a Monday evening, the O2 gym on Independence Blvd. and Oleander Ave. had few exercisers. The next day, 02 announced it was temporarily closing its facilities based on advisories from federal, state, and local governmental authorities.
I’m just staying clean and healthy and making sure I wash my hands, try not to come into contact with anybody, try to keep my distance and avoid people sneezing and stuff. I’m still working, doing heating and air, so that’s not stopping us. I’m just taking precautions. The gym is important to me, but I make sure to wipe down my equipment before and after. -Zachary Howard
7:20 p.m. Bottles of Clorox are displayed near the front entrance of Lowe's Home Improvement on College Road, while Laura Profancik, who works in the airlines industry, carts out bottles of Clorox and paint. She said the Clorox will be used to remove mildew from the exterior of her house before she paints it.
I'm here at Lowe's because I'll possibly be furloughed by the airlines, and my house needs painted ... So if I'm furloughed, I'm not going to sit around and sulk and watch TV. I'm going to paint my house. -Laura Profancik
7:40 p.m. Flying Machine Beer began offering 'Beers To Go' on Monday after closing its taproom upon advice from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) against gatherings of 5o or more people. The brewery's taproom is one of the region's largest.
Flying Machine employee Britt Carpenter said she sanitizes her hands after every time she gives drive-by customers a to-go pack of beer. Some customers don't even get out of the car, ordering beer through the window, she said, while she signs and swipes their cards herself so customers don't have to touch anything.
People have seemed to really appreciate that we're still offering something. Even though it's not mandated to close, I feel proud as an employee that they're taking this step to show an example to the community that this is serious. -Britt Carpenter
Tuesday, March 17
With all these restaurants closing down, all these servers aren't making money. People are losing billions and billions of dollars all across our nation, and it's really screwing a lot of things up. It kind of reminds me of the economic recession back in 2008 -- dramatic losses, Dow falling thousands and thousands of points day by day, a whole lot of uncertainty, supplies are being hoarded by people who are scared. It's getting bad. -Austin Kirkman
4:40 p.m. PinPoint Restaurant Executive Chef Jacob Kerry said the mood around restaurants and bars in Wilmington was one of worry as the 5 p.m. deadline to shut down dine-in areas approached.
Obviously everybody needs to abide [by Governor Cooper's mandate] -- we definitely agree with it; it needs to be done. But overall we're all going to take a big hit over it, all the small businesses, restaurants ... so there's definitely some worry there. -Jacob Kerry
I don't have the best immune system. It's scary working, but I do need to make money. [I just take it] day by day. I've got my sanitizer ... soap and the water is the best -- just trying to take precautions. Because there's only so much you can do. I can't completely close myself in, and a lot of other people can't do the same. -Raven Cook
4:50 p.m. Brandi Day celebrates St. Patrick's Day at The Husk bar in downtown Wilmington. "Compared to last year, when everything was packed, this year it's like dead," she said.
I'm not scared of the virus. I'm scared of the way people are acting; more of the way the media is attracting it, I guess. It's a virus -- it's not even as bad as the flu -- but everyone else is buying everything, making everything go out of proportion. I mean, it's ridiculous. -Brandi Day
5:07 p.m. People celebrate Saint Patrick's Day at Slainte Irish Pub after the 5 p.m. governor-mandated deadline to shut down restaurant dine-in areas and bars.
Mike Rockwell, a bartender at Caprice Bistro, celebrates St. Patrick's Day at Slainte Irish Pub. Bar owner Misha Sobol walks behind him.
I think it's going to be a serious impact [on the bar industry], because we don't really have an answer as to how long it's going to last. I found out today that I'm not going to be working for at least the next two weeks. The industry itself -- restaurants operate on very small margins. For a lot of small businesses, personally owned businesses, it's going to have a huge impact. Because a lot of them can't go a month without any revenue, or even two to three weeks without revenue ... I think you're going to see some businesses close. All of them are going to suffer, but I think some of them will shut down. The strong will survive this one, pretty much. -Mike Rockwell
Eric Healy from Dublin, Ireland, celebrates Saint Patrick's Day outside Slainte Irish Pub on Tuesday. Healy, a former soccer player for the University of Mount Olive, said he has lived in the U.S. for four years now. He worries about the health of his dad in Ireland, and hopes his sister won't allow him to go out for groceries.
The prime minister [of Ireland] came out and said that stuff's going to have to change, so the pubs, the bar, everything closed down in Ireland. And now over in North Carolina I'm experiencing this for the first time ... It's big. It's a serious epidemic. And the millennials are responsible for it progressing. -Eric Healy
Slainte Irish Pub owner Misha Sobol said Tuesday was the first day he's ever had to close the bar, noting how he didn't even close during Hurricane Florence.
It's a sad day in the history of the bar industry. It's the first time in my 46 years I've had to close the bar. And the first time Slainte closed the bar -- we hadn't even closed during [Hurricane Florence]. However, flip side of the coin, it's not about money, it's the health of the people. -Mishel Sobol
Gas prices have dropped throughout the Wilmington area as the economy enters into what many economists predict will become a recession due to the global spread of the novel coronavirus.
Mykel, a construction superintendent in town from Alabama to help build an apartment complex, said the spread of the coronavirus has forced his company to get some of its supplies from the U.S. rather than from overseas.
5:45 p.m. Victor Treto, an employee at Harris Teeter on Oleander Avenue, said in the past few days he's seen customers clearing out shelves, particularly items like meat, bread, toilet paper, water, and hand sanitizer.
Everyone's in a panic for no reason ... I'm just livin' life life right now. That's all I can really do -- and just pray that no one in my family, or I, get sick. -Victor Treto
The paper towel and toilet paper aisle at Harris Teeter on Oleander Avenue was nearly empty Tuesday evening.
Construction worker Mark Demers looks at a nearly empty meat aisle at the Harris Teeter on Oleander Avenue Tuesday evening.
Construction worker Mark Demers said there is no meat, toilet paper, and other essential items because people were panicking and over-buying. His wife is pregnant and he said he was somewhat relieved to hear recent reports that the novel coronavirus cannot be passed onto an unborn baby if the mother contracts the virus; although he can't be sure, as news surrounding the virus is constantly changing.
The weirdest part of it is -- on the news, they've been telling people 'Don't' panic, don't buy out the whole store.' People like me, I shop once a week, maybe twice a week, and I go to the store and I can't buy anything because everyone else has bought it all up. And there's really no need for it, and the sad truth is that they're probably going to end up wasting half of it because it's just not gonna last. -Mark Demers
6:20 p.m. Sam Cahoon, owner of Savorez restaurant on Chestnut and 4th Street, said he had to lay off nearly all of his staff as the governor-mandated order to shut down dine-in areas across the state took affect at 5 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Unfortunately, what we’ve had to do -- what we've felt our best option is --- we’ve pretty much laid off our entire staff, that way they’re eligible for the unemployment benefits. Governor Cooper announced a lot of easements on the restriction of the unemployment process. So basically it’ll make it easier for them to get [the benefits]. They understand once things are back up and running, they’ll have jobs. -Sam Cahoon
Wednesday, March 18
On Wednesday, End of Days Distillery began distributing hand sanitizer made from strengthening its vodka and adding tea tree oil.
Oliver Earney, tasting room manager at End of Days Distillery on Castle Street, was handing out small bottles of sanitizer solution that the distillery began making using fortified vodka.
We noticed that we have an excess supply of alcohol, we read some articles on making sanitizer, and it just seemed like a good thing to do for the community. A lot of people are out there looking for it. It’s something that can kill the virus, and washing hands and maintaining sanitation is so important. This is a way that we could really add something to the community. -Oliver Earney
5:30 p.m. New Hanover County Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman announces the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus in New Hanover County early Wednesday evening. Commissioner Rob Zapple stands behind her.
We received information today, this afternoon, of a New Hanover County resident who has tested presumptive positive for Covid-19 ... Here's what we know at this time: we believe this is an international travel-associated case; the person returned to the U.S. on March the 12th, and developed very mild symptoms on March the 13th; they returned to the New Hanover County area on March the 15th through the ILM Airport, then followed up with their provider on March the 16th, where they were tested for Covid-19 and placed on home isolation. They received results today, March the 18th, and remain in their home and are currently doing well. -New Hanover County Chairwoman Julia Olson-Boseman
Lisa Brown, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator for New Hanover County, said her team has been preparing for the potential spread of Covid-19 cases in the county around the clock for weeks now. As of Wednesday evening, the county had sent 65 samples that were tested in public and private labs, an increase from the 28 tests announced on Monday. As of Wednesday, 43 were still pending in private labs while one was still pending in the state lab.
We think about this even when we’re not here ... We’re definitely a little tired already, but it’s going well. We feel confident that the long days and long nights and the weekends we’ve put in for weeks now have really helped our community be prepared for what we are working through now together. -Lisa Brown
Credits:
Photos by Mark Darrough/Port City Daily