Raleigh, NC – Governor Roy Cooper on Wednesday extended an evening curfew, a moratorium on evictions and rules that allow restaurants and bars to serve assorted drinks while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage in North Carolina.
Current orders covering all three are due to expire on Sunday, but new executive decrees have postponed this until late February due to the curfew and late March for evictions and take-out drinks.
“The virus is still attacking our communities,” Cooper said at an afternoon news conference. “We still have work to do. We cannot let our guard down, especially in these cold winter months.”
North Carolina reported another 139 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, marking the fifth time in a week that the number exceeded 100. Last week was the most lethal during the pandemic, with 715 deaths across the state.
Meanwhile, another 5,587 coronavirus infections were reported across the state on Wednesday, and 3,305 people were in hospitals with COVID-19.
Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, noted that North Carolina’s virus trends had stabilized in recent days after peaking in early January. But the percentage of positive virus tests remains in the double digits – an average of 11.2% last week – well above the state’s 5% target.
“We are past the peak of winter holidays, but we still face worrying levels of viruses,” said Cohen.
The 10 pm to 5 pm curfew was instituted in early December to prevent people from staying in groups until late at night during the holidays, increasing the risk of coronavirus transmission. Most companies are expected to close at 10 pm, and restaurants and bars should stop selling alcohol for consumption on site until 9 pm.
But restaurants can continue to take delivery and take-away orders after 10 pm, and Cooper issued a separate executive order last month, allowing them to serve drinks mixed with those orders to make up for part of the lost revenue with a curfew. .
Cooper said he chose different dates for curfew orders and take-out drinks to provide restaurant owners with some stability, as state officials continue to monitor virus trends for any necessary changes to security protocols.
“We believe this is a good economic boost for companies that are really experiencing difficulties,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that they would have additional income during that period.”
Evictions have been suspended since last spring, while people affected by the closure of pandemic-related companies struggle to pay rent. President Joe Biden last week extended a similar national moratorium on evictions until March.
“Keeping people in their homes is an important way to slow the spread of the virus,” said Cooper.
Coronavirus vaccinations in NC
The measures take place at a time when North Carolina is struggling not only with the spread of the virus, but also with efforts to vaccinate people against it.
North Carolina has distributed more than 99 percent of the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine it has received from the federal government so far, Cooper said.
“The critical point now for our state and the nation is that there is not enough vaccine,” he said.
Get details about COVID-19 vaccine clinics near you.
The limited offer has forced some counties to limit vaccination appointments in recent days.
President Joe Biden announced plans on Tuesday to increase weekly vaccine shipments to states by 16 percent over the next three weeks. Cooper said the additional supply “will help, but we still need a lot more.”
The governor encouraged counties to continue scheduling vaccination appointments, focusing on health professionals and people aged 65 and over, and to create waiting lists for people to be ready to get their vaccines as soon as the state has enough vaccine to they.