Celeste Gracia

There’s an old wives’ tale about hurricanes having an effect on pregnant women that can cause a premature birth.

However, according to a recent study from East Carolina University, that claim is actually true.

Starting Friday, the city of Raleigh will be requiring face coverings in public. Durham and Orange counties have already implemented local requirements.

The family of a man who was killed by a Raleigh police officer last year has filed a lawsuit against the officer and Raleigh's city manager and police chief. 

Some dental offices in North Carolina are starting to reopen.

The CDC and the American Dental Association recommend that patients wait in their cars and are asked about travel history and possible COVID-19 symptoms before going in for their appointments. Dental staff are encouraged to wear more personal protective equipment, including disposable gowns and face shields.

As Governor Roy Cooper begins easing restrictions on some businesses starting Friday, local retail stores are taking precautions to open safely.

Some stores are limiting the number of people allowed inside or offering shopping by appointment for customers with health risks.

The Durham Housing Authority says all of the families of a housing complex who were displaced at the beginning of this year have returned to their homes now.

In January, nearly 300 families from McDougald Terrace evacuated their homes and moved into hotels because of concerns over elevated carbon monoxide levels. Over the past few months, DHA says it inspected the 346 units at the housing complex and replaced several hundred furnaces, water heaters and stoves.

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said he fully supports President Trump's decision to declare meat processing facilities essential and mandate them to stay operational.

Lawyers representing residents of a nursing home in Rowan County have filed suit against the facility, which has the largest documented outbreak of COVID-19 of any nursing home in the state.

A dog belonging to a family in the Triangle has tested positive for COVID-19. It's the first known case of the coronavirus infecting a dog in the United States.

New Hanover County expanded testing for COVID-19 starting Monday.

Any resident in the county who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can call 910-798-6800 and a nurse will screen them over the phone. Those who then meet the criteria will be referred to a drive-thru site in downtown Wilmington to get tested for free.

Wake County has lost an estimated $47.2 million as tourism has come to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a report from Visit Raleigh, more than 85 large scale events have been canceled or rescheduled. Hotel occupancy rates this month are down almost 70% from usual levels. As a result, the county has postponed planned projects including expansions at the Marble Kids Museum or Dorothea Dix Park.

Dairy farms in North Carolina are dumping excess milk because of a lack of demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

About half of dairy sales come from food services, including schools, restaurants and hotels, according to Stephanie Ward of North Carolina State University Extension. Those sales are essentially gone because of stay-at-home orders. Ward says milk sales at grocery stores have gone up approximately 20%-25% in the Southeast region of the U.S., but not enough to offset the losses.

Amid a national shortage of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic, UNC experts say health care systems may have to mitigate the problem by re-using PPE or producing supply from available materials.

UNC Health has launched a hotline for its health care workers to access mental health services.

Any employee of UNC Health can call the line to speak with a trained mental health provider and get a referral for other resources, including social workers, therapists, or online support groups.

County governments in North Carolina could lose an average of $4 million in sales tax revenue as a result of changed spending habits caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to an ongoing study from N.C. State University.

Thousands of churches across North Carolina — and around the world — are preparing to celebrate Easter this weekend. But parishioners will likely be celebrating virtually and at home.

Patients needing hospital care continue to be the highest priority for COVID-19 tests at UNC Health's Respiratory Diagnostic Center in Chapel Hill.

Dr. Brian Klausner holds a special passion for providing medical care to homeless patients.

"The homeless community is just particularly vulnerable," said Klausner, medical director of WakeMed Community Population Health. "There is a lot of reason for concern."

As the coronavirus spreads throughout North Carolina, health experts like Klausner almost universally worry about how quickly COVID-19 could spread in homeless populations. Not only are those who suffer homelessness more susceptible to illness, but they also lack homes in which to shelter. If one person contracts the virus and then stays in a shelter, that person could easily spread the virus to others in that shelter.

A group of non-full-time-residents has filed a federal lawsuit against Dare County for prohibiting them from accessing their properties in the county.

Last month, Dare County declared a state of emergency and cut off entry to non-residents to limit the spread of COVID-19.

UNC Health is planning for a surge of COVID-19 patients in the coming weeks.

Emergency services director Christian Lawson said UNC hospitals have an adequate amount of personal protective equipment available for nurses and doctors right now.

Under the governor's statewide stay-at-home order, religious entities are considered essential, but gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited.

As a result, many places of worship are now live streaming their services online.
Duke University Rabbi Elana Friedman says that so far, her student congregants seem to like it.

"There's some excitement to being able to join a service in your pajamas and have your pets with you," she said. "There's some time efficiency that some people have noted that has been helpful."

Farmers in North Carolina are finding new ways to get produce to customers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

While there's still a large demand for fresh food, the typical ways of distributing it have been disrupted. Restaurants operating under social distancing restrictions need significantly less produce. Some farmers markets have closed temporarily.

The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association estimates nearly half of all hotel workers in the state will be laid off as the coronavirus pandemic curtails travel.

Duke Health is now using recycled N-95 masks in its three hospitals amid a critical shortage prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The masks are being decontaminated through a process that was already being used to clean other medical equipment.

Updated 10:32 a.m. March 6, 2020

A second person in North Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Updated at 9:02 a.m. 3/5/2020

 UNC-Chapel Hill is expanding university affiliated travel restrictions to Washington State, California and Japan as the coronavirus continues to spread.

A state health task force is encouraging North Carolinians to be prepared for the potential spread of the new coronavirus in the United States. 

The Durham Police Department will soon have a fully staffed unit dedicated to investigating sexual assault cold cases.

Almost 10% of students at NC State University experienced homelessness in the past year, and nearly 15% dealt with food insecurity in the past month.