<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 23-2. - "state of emergency" defined; restrictions authorized.</div>
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               (a)
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               A state of emergency shall be deemed to exist whenever, during times of public crisis,
               disaster, rioting, catastrophe, pandemic, or similar public emergency, for any reason,
               public safety, authorities are unable to maintain public order or afford adequate
               protection for lives, safety or property, or whenever the occurrence of any condition
               is imminent.
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               (b)
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               In the event of an existing or threatened state of emergency endangering the lives,
               safety, health and welfare of the people within the county or any part thereof, or
               threatening damage to or destruction of property, the chairperson of the board of
               commissioners is hereby authorized and empowered under G.S. Chapter 166A, to issue
               a public proclamation declaring to all persons the existence of a state of emergency,
               and, in order to more effectively protect the lives and property of people within
               the county, to place in effect any or all of the restrictions authorized in this chapter.
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               (c)
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               The chairperson is hereby authorized and empowered to limit, by the proclamation,
               the application of all or any part of the restrictions to any area specifically designated
               or described within the county and to specific hours of the day or night, and to exempt
               from all or any part of the restrictions, while acting in the line of and within the
               scope of their respective duties, law enforcement officers, firefighters and other
               public employees, rescue squad members, doctors, nurses, employees of hospitals and
               other medical facilities; on-duty military personnel whether state or federal; on-duty
               employees of public utilities, public transportation companies and newspapers, magazine,
               radio broadcasting and television broadcasting corporations operated for profit; and
               the other classes of persons as may be essential to the preservation of public order
               and immediately necessary to serve the safety, health and welfare needs of the people
               within the county.
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            <p class="historynote0">
               (Ord. of 3-26-2020)
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