UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR SOME NC WORKERS ARE DELAYED: Taylor said he couldn’t yet promise lawmakers exactly when the state might be in a position to start approving people for those PUA benefits, but “I’d really like it up and running in two weeks.” The reason for the wait and the uncertainty, Taylor said, is the “tremendous amount” of paperwork needed to verify that self-employed people applying for unemployment are telling the truth about their job losses, their incomes, or even that their businesses are legitimate. And although Congress approved the PUA benefits two weeks ago, the federal government didn’t publish the actual rules for the program until Sunday. Taylor said state unemployment officials spent Monday trying to figure out all the numerous rules and requirements, and will next try to figure out how to best put the new system into place. Politico reported Monday that those rules have raised the ire of some Democratic politicians and groups for excluding too many people.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241828321.html

39 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM COVID 19 IN NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina has at least 2,677 reported cases of the coronavirus as of Monday morning, and 39 people have died, according to state and county health departments. The state identified 183 new cases on Sunday. More than 260 people in North Carolina were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday evening, and more than 40,000 had been tested for the virus, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. More than 90 of the state’s 100 counties have at least one reported case of the coronavirus. Mecklenburg County, considered an epicenter of the virus in North Carolina, has the most reported cases in the state, with 665.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241787796.html

TRACKING COVID 19 CASES AND FATALITIES IN NC: NC DHHS reported 2,093 confirmed cases of COVID-19, up from 1,857 on Thursday. Of those, 259 people are hospitalized. The state’s official death toll continued to rise as Henderson County south of Asheville reported its first death: an elderly patient at Pardee Hospital. Other counties also reported deaths on Friday. Johnston County reported its second death, an elderly person with underlying medical conditions, a county release said. Gaston and Mecklenburg also each had one and Guilford reported two. Wilson County reported a death on Friday, a woman in her early 60s with underlying health problems. Davie County also reported a death, its second. The state has now tested 31,598 people. Wake County’s total cases rose to 279 Friday. Durham County had 172. Starting Saturday, Durham’s city and county stay-home orders will be combined and strengthened, with crowd sizes reduced to no more than five people.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241734536.html

REP. ALMA ADAMS SAYS PANDEMIC RESPONSE WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT TRUMP: “I’m getting to the age where I don’t have time to mince words: If the Senate had removed President Trump in January, I believe our country’s response would have been swifter, more competent, and would have saved lives. President Trump has demonstrated that he’s incapable of leading the country during a crisis, and his inaction has cost lives,” Adams, 73, said in an emailed response to a series of emailed questions about the coronavirus and Congress’ response. Trump enjoyed a bounce in the polls for his response, which include daily on-camera press conferences from the White House. Several surveys showed more Americans approved than disapproved of his handling. However, a Wednesday poll from Politico/Morning Consult had some poor numbers for Trump. The poll found that 61% of registered voters think Trump was not prepared for the outbreak. The poll found 47% percent of voters feel the administration is not doing enough compared to 40% who think it is.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article241682686.html

WAKE COUNTY DECIDES TO REOPEN GUN SHOPS AFTER THREAT OF LAWSUIT: Wake County is reversing its stance on whether gun stores can remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. But Wake County Commissioner Chair Greg Ford said the county is not changing its stay-at-home order because gun advocacy groups complained about it. "These are routine updates as circumstances change,” he said. Paul Valone, president of gun rights organization Grass Roots North Carolina, previously told The News & Observer that gun stores sell things people need to protect their families and homes. GRNC and Gun Owners of America (GOA) sent a letter to Ford and Wake County threatening legal action if gun shops were not listed as essential businesses. “I think they are denying people the ability to protect themselves,” Valone said.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241626921.html