Cooper Scales Back Some COVID-19 Restrictions across North Carolina
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced he is scaling back some of the COVID-19 restrictions across North Carolina, as coronavirus numbers continue to improve.
Cooper said the modified stay-at-home order is no longer in effect, meaning the curfew has been eliminated. The mandatory mask mandate will be left in place. Bars will be allowed to open again with a 30 percent capacity, for the first time since the pandemic restrictions were put in place.
“Despite these grim statistics, we have a reason for hope in North Carolina,” Cooper said. “Fewer people are getting sick. Fewer are needing a hospital. All the metrics that we measure continue to stabilize.”
Many businesses are going to be able to open at 50 percent occupancy now, including restaurants, breweries, retail, gyms, barbers and salons, and others. Outdoor bars and sports venues will no longer have a 100 person cap. Indoor bars and movie theaters and sports arenas can open at 30 percent capacity, with a cap of 250 people. Alcohol sales will now stop at 11 p.m. instead of 9 p.m.
Itās also important to note that bars and taverns will be allowed to open indoors for the first time since near the beginning of the pandemic. Capacity indoors is 30% and officials will enforce this limit. Like restaurants and other venues, alcohol sales must stop at 11 pm.
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) February 24, 2021
Mass gathering limits will be increased to 25 people indoors, and 50 people outdoors, the most since the middle of last year, since COVID-19 restrictions began in North Carolina.
“After alarmingly high numbers throughout the winter holidays, North Carolinaās trends have declined and stabilized,” Cooper said. “Hospitalizations have dropped to their lowest point since before Thanksgiving. The percent of tests returning positive continues to decline. This is encouraging.
“When it comes to easing some restrictions, we’re depending on people to be responsible. The mandatory mask mandate won’t change. As more people gather together it’ll be important to social distance. These proven safety protocols are vital as COVID19 is infecting people every day.”
GALLERY: The Pandemic and North Carolina
