North Carolina prepares to start easing COVID-19 restrictions.
With the number of newly reported cases and hospitalizations trending in the right direction, Gov. Roy Cooper Wednesday announced the end of the statewide 10 PM until 5 AM curfew starting on Friday.
Also under the new executive order:
- Some outdoor businesses will be able to operate at 30% with NO cap in total attendance
- Some indoor businesses — including bars, taverns, indoor sports arenas, and movie theaters — can now open at 30% capacity with a cap of 250 people
- Larger indoor arenas with a capacity of over 5,000 will be allowed up to 15% of capacity
- On-site alcohol sales must end at 11 PM
- The mass gathering limits will be increased to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors
- Health and safety protocols must still be followed
- The mandatory mask mandate will remain in place.
Gov. Cooper’s new executive order featuring the reduced restrictions goes into effect at 5 PM this Friday, February 26.
As of Wednesday, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reports there have been 849,630 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state since the pandemic began. Those cases have resulted in 11,074 deaths.
