Coronavirus in North Carolina: Daily status updates

As we ease into the Stay Home, Stay Safe Phase 2, Buncombe County Public Health has provided public health messaging and guidance for industry and local businesses to use in their operations. Please click the links below to download printable files.

For more information, Buncombe County and the City of Asheville are operating the Ready Team call center. The Ready Team can assist with business and general questions about COVID-19 and Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Home Order. To ensure that there are options for Spanish, Russian, and multiple other languages, the Ready Team is working with United Way’s call center. The Ready Team call center operates Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Call (828) 419-0095 or email [email protected].

The Asheville Downtown Association, Asheville Grown Business Alliance and Asheville Independent Restaurant Association have teamed up to release a COVID-19 Downtown Business Census. The results from the survey will be instrumental in helping us prioritize business needs as we move into Phase Two of reopening.   The survey only takes about 10 minutes to complete and we need your responses quickly so that we can address needs immediately. We’re asking that you complete the survey by Friday, May 29. We understand that answers may change with time. Please answer to the best of your capabilities and for your present situation.   Please click here to access the survey.

With over 30 members, Downtown Asheville Arts District (DAAD) is comprised of cultural centers, festivals, galleries, museums, retail shops, theatres, and tours — all located within a mile radius of historic downtown Asheville. Our mission is to promote visual and performing arts in all its forms.

We welcome you to our first virtual festival! Please enjoy a holiday weekend full of music, art, and theatre, and get to know the various arts businesses and organizations who bring inspiration to every corner of Asheville.

For more information about DAAD and its members, please visit https://www.downtownavlarts.com/

• Parks and Recreation Indoor Facilities are Closed until further notice.
• Park Playgrounds are Closed until further notice.
• Park Restrooms will reopen on Friday May 8th at 5:00pm.
• Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Courts will reopen on Friday May 8th at 5:00pm.
  • If you are waiting to use a court please wait outside of the fence or in your vehicle.
  • If others are waiting to use a court please keep your playing time to 60 minutes.
• Outdoor Parks remain Open.
• Fields and shelters are Open, however groups must kept to 25 people or less.  If you are waiting to use a field or shelter please do not wait in the immediate area; please wait outside of the field or shelter in an open area or in your vehicle.

If you choose to utilize Henderson County Parks please be respectful of other users, keep your group to 25 or less and provide others with appropriate social distancing.  PLEASE NOTE that the trails at Hickory Nut Gorge are controlled by Conserving Carolina and they have closed them until further notice.

It’s May 1st, and you know what that means! That’s right, a whole month of mindfulness aimed at reducing plastic usage in our lives. For years, Asheville GreenWorks has worked at #goingplasticfree, and this year will be no different. Starting Monday, May 4th, we’ll be releasing daily blog posts from our staff, members of the Plastic Reduction Task Force, and other zero waste advocates in Buncombe County. There will be repurposing and upcycling challenges, a special screening of The Story of Plastic, and a Trivia Night testing your knowledge of the topics we cover throughout the month. Daily posts can be found on our website, as well as on our Going Plastic Free Facebook Page. And, in case you miss a post, we will send out a weekly digest to keep you up to date on the week’s happenings. And we’re including a calendar in today’s newsletter to give you a sneak preview of the month’s events. Now, more than ever, we are challenged to find the fine balance between safety, cleanliness, and waste reduction. Thank you for your commitment to Asheville GreenWorks; we can’t wait to share another amazing Mind Your Plastic May with you.

Moogmentum in Place is an upcoming series of fundraising live stream events, from May 9th- May 31st, celebrating Bob Moog’s 86th birthday and the one year anniversary of the Moogseum.

Moogmentum In Place will feature performances, musical and technical insights, and question and answer sessions with a prodigious and varied group of legendary musicians, composers, and music technologists. All events will be streamed from the Foundation’s Facebook page where attendees from around the world will have the opportunity to donate in any amount.

Moogmentum In Place will feature film composers and synthesists Alex Wurman (May 9th) and Michael Whalen (May 17th), renowned keyboardist and musical director Greg Phillinganes (May 15th), former Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn interviewed by Jerry Kovarsky (May 21st), theremin virtuoso and music technologist Randy George (May 23rd), and electro-acoustic violist/composer Martha Mooke (May 28th). A virtual tour of the Moogseum and other events are also planned. Further information about each event will be released the week prior to it occurring.

Share Your Feedback on Possible Uses of Public Space The City of Asheville has been working on ways to alter public space usage to assist businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today they announced designated curbside pickup locations throughout downtown and along Haywood Road in West Asheville, as well as expanded uses of private space.   Initiatives being considered include expanded use of public space (sidewalks, on-street parking) and the creation of temporary shared spaces.   It’s vital that the City hear your feedback as downtown businesses on how these options may benefit or impact your operations. View more information here and share your thoughts by emailing [email protected].

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce released a Smart Restart Toolkit with information on sanitizing and cleanliness best practices, how to’s on reopening safely and bringing employees back to the workplace, and information on basic operations. It’s divided by industry sector and includes links to professional organizations that can provide more details by type of business.

The ‘Asheville Cares’ Stay Safe Pledge Supports the Safety of the Local Community

For many of us, air travel has been off the table for the last few months. According to the Asheville Airport, air travel has practically come to a complete halt. However, as the state gradually begins to reopen, flight demand will increase, and the airport would like to know the public’s thoughts on safety, sanitation, and more. Take their short, 3-minute survey to share your opinions.