RALEIGH – The North Carolina Chamber is making quite clear it opposes a possible “shelter in place” order for North Carolina even as several states hammered by the coronavirus have already done so. Such a declaration should be a “last resort,” the group says.

Gary Salamido, President and CEO of the business lobbying organization, sent a detailed position declaration to Chamber members on Saturday afternoon. And he asked that recipients share it via Twitter.

“The disruption a shelter-in-place order would generate for the private sector, and for North Carolina citizens whose financial well-being and overall welfare depends on their ability to work, cannot be underestimated,” he wrote.

“It would fashion a massive disturbance that could create the opposite of its intended effect by interfering with the very economic activity that is protecting our state and its citizenry from disaster.”

Salmido pointed out that “this position of the NC Chamber and the business community has been communicated to Governor Roy Cooper.”

Cooper did issue an executive order on March 17 that put some restrictions in place such as restaurants and bars as well as large gatherings. However, many businesses have remained open even as several major retailers have shuttered their doors and hotels have cut hundreds of jobs.

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Local governments also are acting. For example, on Saturday Wake County ordered the closure of public playgrounds, gyms and salons and concert venues through April 30, at least. Greenways and trails remain open along with essential stores like pharmacies, grocery stores, banks and more.

Salamido wants to limit further damage to the economy.

“Shelter in Place Should be a Last-Ditch Resort: North Carolina Must Instead Draw on Decades of Experience,” the tweet read. “A massive disturbance could create the opposite of its intended effect.”

NC State economist Dr. Wike Walden said such an order for North Carolina would hit businesses quite hard.

“Consideration of ‘sheltering in place’ is based on medical experts’ assessment of what us needed to quickly contain the virus.  Certainly, anything that further restricts personal interactions will move us closer to shutting down the economy,” Walden told WRAL TechWire.

“It’s a question of whether we accept more pain now to have a quicker resolution to the crisis later.”

Governors in New York, Washington, Illinois and California already have issued such orders.

Jobs already being lost

Regardless of whether Cooper makes such a declaration, North Carolina’s economy is taking a big hit from the virus. More than 83,000 unemployment claims were filed last week, according to the NC Department of Commerce’s Division of Employment Security. That total is a tidal wave compared to the 3,500 claims made in recent months. Larry Parker, a spokesman for the DES, told The Associated Press that COVID-19 was cited for the claims request in 85 percent of the cases.

Also, several new layoff notices were filed with the state as of March 20.

“Tripping the breaker”

In an introduction to the statement, Salamido told members:

“We hear you. While some states have taken the drastic step of resorting to shelter-in-place orders, we recognize the crippling impact this could have on your people and your businesses. As we work to ensure your voice is heard, I am sharing the following message and encourage you to do the same using your social media channels.”

Salamido said “North Carolina’s practiced response to natural disasters and disciplined emergency management has us well positioned to avoid a total shutdown in the near term. Undoubtedly, public health and safety sits prominently as our lodestar, but tripping the main breaker can only be a last resort.”

The Chamber exec praised the state’s leadership in Raleigh and singled out Cooper in particular.

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“Governor Roy Cooper has also shown steady leadership in managing our state’s response to COVID-19. As a member of the Governor’s Novel Coronavirus Task Force, I can personally attest to this leadership.,” he wrote.

Salamido praised as well the reaction of the state’s private sector.

“North Carolina’s private sector, too, has developed expertise through managing and responding to the same challenges as our public officials,” he wrote. “In recent decades as powerful storms ravaged communities across our state, businesses have honed their emergency response plans and fine-tuned their strategies to protect employees and keep operations running.”

Further, Salamido said North Carolina industries are leaders in several fields that are crucial to efforts being made to address the virus.

“Remember too, we are home to world-class innovators in the life science and biotech industries, whose contributions make North Carolina a national and global leader in researching and developing new technologies,” he wrote. “Our utilities have earned the reputation of being an afterthought, a credit to their consistently reliable service and extraordinary experience. From health care to manufacturing, our state’s employers could be instrumental in solving the very problem at hand. We cannot afford to bring all that effort to a screeching halt.”

His full statement can be read online.