Outer Banks Times

Currituck County recently issued the following announcement.

On March 20, 2020, Currituck County issued an updated State of Emergency.

Access Restrictions to the Currituck Outer Banks

• Effective at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, access to the Outer Banks communities in Corolla and the 4WD area is denied to visitors AND non-resident property owners.
• At this time, there is no evacuation order for visitors or non-resident property owners who may already be present in the Currituck Outer Banks.
• Permanent residents of Currituck County will be allowed access to conduct business, work, or attend medical appointments. Currituck County residents must have an ID that shows a Currituck County address.
• A law enforcement checkpoint is established at the south end of the Wright Memorial Bridge.

Restriction on Mass Gatherings

• Mass gatherings in Currituck County are prohibited. A mass gathering is any event or convening that brings together more than 50 persons in a single room or single space at the same time.

Statement by Currituck County regarding Outer Banks restrictions:

Currituck County’s decision to amend its State of Emergency on March 20 to increase access restrictions into the Outer Banks is intended to ease the strain on local healthcare facilities and protect citizens from a possible outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. A number of key factors influenced this decision, including:

1. By denying access to visitors and non-resident property owners, Currituck County hopes to limit the number of possible patients that would be served by the Outer Banks Hospital and local urgent care facilities. These facilities have low capacities and no ICU capabilities. We do not want them to become overwhelmed during a possible COVID-19 outbreak. Non-resident property owners may actually have access to more robust healthcare systems by staying home during this time.
2. Healthcare facilities on the Outer Banks serve citizens in a wide geographical area over both Currituck and Dare counties. As a result, transport by ambulance can take a significant amount of time for critical patients.
3. Many Outer Banks residents are retirees and the senior citizen category is one of the most vulnerable to COVID-19. It is the county’s responsibility to protect our citizens as best as possible.

Currituck County understands the frustrations of non-resident property owners during this unique time. We have also considered how these restrictions will affect local businesses. However, the county is acting in the manner it feels will best maintain public health and safety for all property owners.

Currituck County does not take this decision lightly and will open access to the Outer Banks as soon as possible. Updates will be made as information becomes available. Thank you to everyone for their cooperation.

Original source can be found here.