MANTEO, N.C. (WNCT) – Outer Banks property owners are filing federal lawsuits after being denied access to their vacation homes.

The owners claim their constitutional rights are being violated by not being allowed access to their properties, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency orders in the county only permit those who are full-time residents to come and go.

Law enforcement has been placed at the two bridges used to access the county, to deal check-ins with travelers.

The argument from many vacation homeowners is that they want to have access to the home and property they own and pay for.

So far, there are only eight COVID-19 cases in Dare County, according to the North Carolina Department of Human Health Services.

Mary Ruane has been an Outer Banks vacation homeowner for nearly 40 years. She thinks this is a good idea.

“The island basically has no cases right now,” said Ruane.

“With the influx of people coming, you don’t know where they’re coming from. Medical facilities are limited down here, so if you have people getting sick, where are they going to go?” Ruane said.

The lawsuits filed are directly asking for owners to be allowed access to their homes immediately.