NC Gov. Cooper extends curfew, other restrictions meant to curb spread of COVID-19
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that restrictions on businesses and gatherings designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus will be extended again, as will a moratorium on evictions for people who can’t pay their rent because of the pandemic.
Cooper, who announced the extension at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, said while the rise in coronavirus cases in the state has leveled off from a post-holiday surge, and vaccine is being administered, the numbers are still too high.
“The virus is still raging through our communities,” he said.
The restrictions extended Wednesday have been in effect since Oct. 2 under Phase 3 of the governor’s three-phase plan to reopen the economy during the pandemic. The current modified stay-at-home version was set to expire at 5 p.m. Friday and now will expire Feb. 28. It includes a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew he put in place in early December.
Meanwhile, Cooper also extended an executive order that allows bars and restaurants to sell cocktails to-go. That order, in effect starting Dec. 21, is extended until March 31. He said extending it through March gives those business predictability.
“Those businesses that have indoor entertainment, indoor dining, where people have to take off their mask, those are the places that have really been hit hard by this virus,” Cooper said. “We want to make sure that they have additional income during this period of time.”
The executive order also requires people to wear masks inside any public place where people encounter non-household members, even when 6 feet apart. They must be worn in public outdoor settings if social distancing isn’t possible.
The decisions come as the pace of new infections and the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 have begun to fall from post-holiday highs. Public health officials hope the COVID-19 vaccines that started arriving in December will eventually slow down the pandemic.
A holding pattern
On Wednesday, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced that an additional 5,587 people had tested positive for the coronavirus, down from a peak of more than 11,500 on Jan. 9 and below the average for the month of more than 6,700.
Meanwhile, 3,305 were hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, down from a high of nearly 4,000 on Jan. 14, according to DHHS. Since the pandemic began in March, there have been 8,915 deaths, as of Wednesday. Nearly a third of those deaths — more than 2,150 — have occurred this month.
“We are past a spike from the winter holidays, but we are still experiencing worrisome levels of virus,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The governor announced his reopening plan late last spring. Phase 1, which modified the governor’s earlier stay-at-home order, went into effect May 8, followed by Phase 2 on May 22.
But the COVID-19 pandemic worsened after Phase 3, so the governor has continued to extend restrictions, with some modifications. The state has been in a holding pattern of Phase 3 for the past few months with the most recent extension on Jan. 6.
Under Phase 3, gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Bars are allowed to operate but outside only and at reduced capacity. Movie theaters and conference centers may operate at 30% of capacity.
The curfew put in place in early December will be extended along with the Phase 3 restrictions. Businesses are not allowed to admit guests after 10 p.m., with some exceptions, including grocery stores, health care facilities, pharmacies, gas stations, construction and manufacturing sites and childcare centers.
In late October, Cooper issued an order that prevents landlords from evicting residents who can’t afford their rent, when tenants provide a sworn statement about their circumstances. Cooper extended the order late last month; it was due to expire Jan. 31 and has now been extended until March 31.
“Health experts have shown us that keeping people in their homes is an important way to slow the spread of the virus,” Cooper said. “And an eviction moratorium is important as we remain under a modified stay-at-home order.”
Vaccine a priority
The rollout of the vaccine has been slow compared to other states and has faced criticism from Republican state lawmakers as well as people who have tried to get appointments or have waited in long lines to get a shot. On Jan. 19, Cooper, a Democrat, toured a mass vaccination site with Cohen at the UNC-Chapel Hill Friday Center, where more than 850 people were vaccinated that day.
Cohen and Cooper said Wednesday that 99% of the first doses of vaccine that the state has received from the federal government have been administered. To speed vaccinations nationwide, federal officials have said they will ship more vaccine to places that show they can use it.
North Carolina expects a 16% increase vaccine shipments next week, to 140,000 first doses.
“Even with this increase, demand for vaccine vastly exceeds our supply,” Cohen said. “And I know it’s frustrating to have to wait, but everyone will be able to get their shot as vaccine supplies increase over the next several months.”
Schools study considered
The General Assembly returned on Wednesday for its long session, which includes the two-year state budget and potential bills related to spending federal money for coronavirus relief.
During the 2020 legislative short session, Cooper vetoed several Republican-led bills aimed at reopening businesses and curtailing Cooper’s power in the executive orders.
The 2021 budget session, like the 2019 session, has divided government of Cooper, a Democrat, and Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans. All have said they want to work together to find common ground this year.
Cooper said he is asking school boards, superintendents and health officials to look at the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study about safely reopening schools and mitigating COVID-19 spread.
The governor did not have a timeline for any decision on schools yet. The state legislature is also looking at what legislation might be needed to help students with learning loss from daily, in-person education.
Berger told reporters on Wednesday that lawmakers are looking at options, but said there’s no specific plan for legislation yet. He said it would be more appropriate to leave school opening to local school districts’ discretion instead of a statewide policy.
“My hope would be the governor calling for opening schools on full-time, in-person basis, with protocols,” Berger said.
A majority of North Carolina’s public schools started the year with remote learning. Since October, elementary schools have been allowed to reopen for full-time, daily in-person instruction. Middle and high schools may open under a Plan B, which has more restrictions on social distancing. All students and staff must wear masks.
In Wake County Public Schools System, the largest in the state, elementary schools had reopened for full-time in-person learning, with middle schools are open on a rotating schedule and high schools have fully remote learning. WCPSS also offers an all-remote Virtual Academy option. Plans to reopen in-person school in January has been delayed until at least mid-February.
Berger lamented the time lost when schools were closed at the end of the 2019-20 school year, along with half of this year for full-time instruction in-person.
“I’m fully convinced there are thousands of children who will never catch up as a result. It didn’t have to be that way,” he said.
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 2:11 PM with the headline "NC Gov. Cooper extends curfew, other restrictions meant to curb spread of COVID-19."
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