• As we begin a new week, here’s a snapshot of the COVID-19 outbreak in the counties that make up the 7^th District:
• Bladen County: 357 cases, 3 deaths
• Brunswick County: 479 cases, 4 deaths
• Columbus County: 513 cases, 37 deaths
• Duplin County: 1,428 cases, 27 death
• Johnston County: 1,393 cases, 29 deaths
• New Hanover County: 810 cases, 5 deaths
• Pender County: 235 cases, 1 death
• Sampson County: 1,018 cases, 6 deaths
• Wayne County: 1,767 cases, 25 deaths
• Statewide, we have 62,142 cases and 1,322 deaths due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 890 individuals are currently hospitalized due to the virus, and North Carolina has completed more than 871,000 tests so far.
• The latest statistics on the COVID-19 outbreak in North Carolina can always be found here.

• North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services also estimates that 45,538 individuals in North Carolina are presumed to be recovered from the virus.

• The Governor’s order mandating the use of face coverings in public settings statewide went into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday. Learn more here. The Governor has indicated that North Carolina will remain in Phase Two through at least July 17^th.

• New Hanover Regional Medical Center has launched a public dashboard with key statistics on the hospital’s status during the outbreak, including the total numbers of COVID-19 positive patients that have been hospitalized, discharged and deceased, in addition to the average daily number of patients hospitalized per week. So far, 151 patients have been hospitalized at NHRMC to date, 98 have been discharged, 24 have died while hospitalized and an average of 28 individuals have been hospitalized each day this week. View the NHRMC dashboard here.

• An important message from the IRS’ Taxpayer Advocate: as IRS offices and facilities begin to reopen, it has begun mailing out months of notices that the agency has generated since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, many of these notices bear dates that have now passed, and some of the notices have deadlines requiring taxpayers to take actions by a deadline that has since passed. The IRS is providing additional time to respond before interest or penalties apply. The IRS is including information about these revised deadlines in a mailing insert. Taxpayers are reminded to review the entire mailing package and follow the dates on the insert to determine the correct due dates. More information is available from the Taxpayer Advocate here. The Key Takeaway: If you receive a notice from the IRS with an expired deadline, don’t stress out – it’s likely that the actual deadlines have been extended or changed.

• The Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield has implemented changes to its operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The library building is temporarily closed to patrons. All library fines are now suspended and will not accrue. Library staff will continue to work and patrons are encouraged to take advantage of the library’s “curbside service.” To use this service, you can request holds through the online catalog or call the library Monday through Friday between 9:00 am-5:00 pm at 919-934-8146.

• New Hanover County has implemented its own face covering policy for employees and the public. All county employees who are within six feet of someone, either inside a county building or outside on county property, must wear a face covering unless they qualify for an exemption outlined in the Governor’s executive order. More info here.