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Mallory: Iredell ‘not at the beginning of the end’ in dealing with COVID-19



James Mallory, chairman of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, delivers an update on COVID-19 Thursday. YouTube

While some North Carolina elected officials, including commissioners in Lincoln and Gaston counties, are urging Gov. Roy Cooper to ease restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, the chairman of Iredell’s board of commissioners predicts that reopening the county’s economy will be a “many-months process.”

“At this point, we’re not at the beginning of the end,” James Mallory said in a weekly video message recorded Thursday. “I’d say we’re probably at the end of the beginning, and that our work on this issue against COVID-19 will be a longer term …  and the opening up of our economy will occur in a gradual fashion.”


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The message comes as eight new cases reported over a two-day period push Iredell’s total to 79, and after health officials Thursday announced the county’s third death related to COVID-19, the illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus. At least 48 of those cases are in the Mooresville area, according to the Iredell County Health Department.

Mallory recorded his message before six new cases were reported late Thursday and two more positive tests were listed Friday. He noted then that the rate of new cases had dropped from a rate of about four per week to about 2.5 a week.

“One week does not make a trend,” he cautioned.

Mallory said social distancing and adherence to the governor’s stay-at-home executive order were crucial to preventing a surge in new cases.

“I am pleased to be able to report that in Iredell County we have, I believe, met that objective of limiting the spike and starting to bend the curve,” he said. “This is the tip of the iceberg but it is an indicator.”

Cooper’s executive orders run through April 29, and Mallory noted he doesn’t expect any easing of restrictions this month.

“After that, we’ll have to see what the governor has decided based on the guidance and advice he has received as to how much we can start to get back to a new normal,” he said.

That new normal can only be reached, Mallory suggested, by incorporating the “three T’s” outlined by Cooper this week: widespread testing, tracing the close contacts of those who contract the virus so they can be isolated, and screening for antibodies to determine who might have had COVID-19 at some point but experienced no symptoms.

Mallory noted that there are not yet enough available tests to aggressively screen for COVID-19 beyond symptomatic people with existing health conditions, medical professionals and first responders. But he added that as more tests are developed and become available, the county can be more aggressive in screening for COVID-19 and effectively isolate positive cases to prevent further spread.

“If the infection rate is dropping off significantly, then we can start to return to normal,” Mallory said. “We’re going to get to a point, I believe, where it’s just a matter of spitting into a cup then having that analyzed. … When we get to that point, we need to have a robust testing capacity that we can roll out at the first sign of any kind of resurgence of this virus.”

Because infection rates vary across the state, when and how the economy is reopened likely will, too, Mallory predicted.

“It’s possible, and I would say probable, that … those restrictions could be tailored to appropriate communities to be able to deal with the situation they have without impacting everyone else,” he said. “But the trends are going to be determined by how we individually react. If we’re not reacting appropriately, the trends aren’t going to be favorable, and we are subject to greater restrictions going forward, with economic pain associated with that.”

Mallory, a retired Army major general, said COVID-19 should be approached like a military foe capable of a powerful counterattack.

“If we’re not prepared, then we’re going to rinse and repeat this whole cycle, which none of us wants to do,” he insisted. There’s no reason for us to have to choose between lives and livelihood. The second time around, if there is one, we need to be prepared.“

See Mallory’s video here

 

4 responses to “Mallory: Iredell ‘not at the beginning of the end’ in dealing with COVID-19”

  1. John J Oshea says:

    Using a quote from Winston Churchill 1942
    ” Now, this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But is perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

    Winston Churchill
    November 10, 1942

  2. Dana L Tucker says:

    Thank you, Commissioner Mallory, for not jumping on the bandwagon of those putting wealth over health. Thank you for supporting the Governor’s 3 Ts.

  3. Barry l bruce says:

    When to Lowe’s home improvement store today there was around 200 people in the store. When is the restrictions going to be in force. If not let’s us all go back to work or school.because no one is taking it seriously

  4. Joyce Compton Brown says:

    Thank you, Mr Mallory, for showing that you value lives in Iredell County and for working with Governor Cooper in a responsible way. You are exemplifying the kind of bipartisan leadership we need now.

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