On April 24, 2020, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners amended the Local State of Emergency Order (SOE) adopting the guidelines laid out in the Governor's Executive Order 135. The amended local SOE also extends the stay at home order until May 22, 2020 and lifts the Ocracoke non-resident property owner entry restrictions on May 11, 2020.

After careful consideration of all the data available to the county and public health officials, Hyde County, in consultation with key stakeholders and local health providers, is beginning to implement plans to gradually relax the current restrictions while still protecting the safety of our community. The first step in this process is to begin allowing Ocracoke non-resident property owners back to the island. The success of this process will greatly depend on everyone continuing to adhere to the social distancing guidelines and stay at home order.

The following restrictions will remain in place and must be followed:

• Hyde County's Stay at Home Order has been extended to May 22, 2020. 
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Mass gatherings are limited to 10 or fewer individuals.
• Travel should only be for essential needs.
• Only have direct contact with members of your immediate household.
• All essential retailers must adhere to the Governor's Executive Order 131 and comply with restrictions on the number of individuals allowed entry based on square footage of space. 

In addition to the above restrictions, individuals are urged to wear a mask or cloth face covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).

All non-resident property owners should bring their own supplies to sustain themselves in their homes as much as possible; including groceries, medication, paper products and other essentials. 

Decisions regarding visitor access to Hyde County will be addressed at a future date to allow for the monitoring of resource availability and the county's ability to conduct testing and contact tracing as necessary. County officials will continue to meet regularly to review the effectiveness of our mitigation efforts. The health and well-being of our community will continue to be the top priority as we move forward.

Information regarding entry to Mainland Hyde County can be found at http://www.hydecountync.gov/mainland_covid-19_entry/index.php 

Information regarding entry to Ocracoke can be found at http://www.hydecountync.gov/ocracoke-covid/index.php

For regularly updated information on COVID-19 in Hyde County visit the Public Health page at the Hyde County Health Department website: 

hydehealth.com/public-health/ or follow their social media outlets.

You can also find reliable information on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website www.cdc.gov/coronavirus, or the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website www.ncdhhs.gov/.