Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday announced major reversals of restrictions on businesses and other places as hospitalization rates, deaths and positive COVID19 rates continue to fall and stabilize statewide.
“After alarmingly high numbers during the winter holidays, North Carolina trends have slowed and stabilized,” Cooper said. “Hospitalizations have dropped to the lowest point since before Thanksgiving. The percentage of positive tests continues to decline. That’s encouraging.”
Specifically, Cooper officially withdrew its nightly modifications to close non-essential businesses, such as gyms, restaurants and shops. This order, signed as a result of the increase in Christmas and Thanksgiving, also gave a curfew at 9pm on alcohol sales.
While non-essential businesses may remain open late, alcohol sales will still have a curfew, but this time two hours later at 11 p.m.
The changes will take effect on Friday and are expected to expire later in March.
To date, about 2,300 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were to be released in North Carolina:
The big changes also extend to bars and establishments where food sales account for less than 30% of sales. For the first time since March 2020, bars will be allowed to open at 30% capacity with a limit of 250 people.
Gyms, museums, aquariums, barbershops, swimming pools, outdoor amusement parks, commercial establishments, restaurants, breweries and wineries will be able to open at 50% capacity with safety and health protocols.
READ MORE: Full Cooper Executive Order (.pdf)
Some companies that were limited to operating outdoors with 30% capacity will still have this percentage, but will no longer have a limit of 100 people. This includes sports fields and spaces, stadiums, outdoor bars, outdoor amusement parks and other outdoor businesses.
The new order will also open some domestic companies with 30% capacity with a limit of 250 people. These businesses include bars and taverns, indoor amusement parks, cinemas, indoor sports centers and others.
30% capacity limit (cannot exceed 250 people indoors)
- Bars
- Meeting, reception and conference spaces
- Lounges (including tobacco) and nightclubs
- Indoor amusement park areas
- Cinemas
- Entertainment facilities (eg bingo, gaming establishments)
- Sports fields
- Places
Covered event venues with more than 5,000 seats can be exempted from the 250-person limit if additional security measures up to 15% capacity are followed.
50% capacity limit
- Restaurants
- Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries
- Fitness and physical activity facilities (e.g. gyms, bowling, rock climbing facilities)
- Swimming pools
- Museums and aquariums
- Retailers
- Outdoor areas of amusement parks
- Salons, personal care, tattoo parlors
“This is a huge, hard-fought victory,” NCBATA President Zack Medford said. “Reducing these restrictions would never have been possible without the tireless efforts of NCBATA members and allies over the past 343 days. We look forward to continuing to build on this success with the governor’s office and help reclaim our bars and taverns. their feet after such a devastating year “.
“Facilitating these restrictions will only work if we protect ourselves and others from this deadly virus,” Cooper said. “Order and our own common sense say safety and health protocols must remain in place.”
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Dr. Mandy Cohen, NC’s secretary of health and human services, praised North Carolina’s efforts to slow the spread and keep up with “The 3 Ws,” which she credited with empowering the governor to begin to ease restrictions.
Cohen still warned, however, that trends, while positive, “are not yet where we need to be” in terms of viral spread.
Wednesday’s press conference came on the same day the state opened the vaccines to teachers and other school staff members. In Wake County, 10,000 school workers have already signed up for the waiting list.
Other essential group 3 workers will be able to sign up for appointments starting next month.
NC House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said after Wednesday’s House session he was “encouraged that the intention and action of the General Assembly has led the governor in this direction.” “and was” happy “that Cooper took that step.
“I’ve talked to the governor and shared with him our thoughts that we really need to reopen the state,” Moore said. “Trends are moving in the right direction, many of the restrictions are going too far and we have companies that are really hurting.”
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