Durham Reporter

Durham leaders plan on having more restrictions than the rest of the state when it reopens businesses and organizations, but many city residents are upset about this decision, according to ABC11 from May 21. 

Mayor Steve Schewel told ABC11 the city will be behind the state's reopening plan while most of the state moved to the second phase of reopening on May 22, Durham won't proceed until June 1. 

But local business owners have been surprised to hear the mayor won't be moving to the second phase yet, ABC11 reported. 

"Next thing we know, we get a text from other people saying we cannot open in Durham until the first of June," Joyce Roberts, with the American Tobacco Barbershop, told ABC11. "And we were like, when did this come up?"

Joe McFadden‎, volunteer firefighter and in Durham, opposed Schewel's decision on Facebook, citing the ABC11 article, which stated, “Wake County has 13 cases for every 10,000 residents. Durham County has 37 cases for every 10,000 residents.”

McFadden said this means residents of Durham only have the chance of catching the coronavirus from 37 people out of the city's 10,000 population, according to the Facebook post. 

Additionally, he calls the mayor's decision ineffective, especially went city residents can visit neighboring cities to go out. 

"Schewel’s draconian controls over and above North Carolina State’s are not demonstrated as effective and are not representing the interests of the people or economy of Durham which is his job," he said on Facebook. "My wife and I went out and enjoyed our first sit down lunch yesterday... in Raleigh!"