Raleigh, NC – The Roy Cooper government on Wednesday extended a night extinguisher, a moratorium on evacuations and rules that allow restaurants and bars to serve mixed drinks as the coronavirus pandemic continues to erupt in North Carolina.
The current orders covering all three are due to expire on Sunday, but the new executive ordinances have pushed this back to the end of February for time out and the end of March for evacuations and drinks.
“The virus is still raging in our communities,” Cooper told an afternoon news conference. “We still have work to do. We can’t 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 reached 100. Last week was the deadliest during the pandemic, with 715 deaths nationwide.
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 Department of Health and Human Services, noted that North Carolina virus trends have stabilized in recent days, following an increase in early January. But the percentage of positive tests on the virus remains in double digits – it has averaged 11.2 percent in the last week – well above the state’s 5 percent target range.
“We have passed the peak of the winter holidays, but we are still facing worrying levels of the virus,” Cohen said.
Extinguishing the time from 10 pm to 5 am was set up in early December to prevent people from staying in groups late at night during the holidays, increasing the risk of transmitting coronavirus. Most businesses must close by 10pm and restaurants and bars must stop selling alcohol for on-site consumption by 9pm.
But restaurants can continue to complete pick-up and delivery orders after 10 p.m., and Cooper issued a separate executive order last month allowing them to serve mixed drinks with those orders to offset some of the revenue lost from the nest.
Cooper said he has chosen different dates for firefighting orders and beverages to provide restaurant owners with some stability, while state officials continue to monitor virus trends for any necessary changes to safety protocols.
“We think this is a good economic boost for those businesses that have really struggled,” he said. “We wanted to make sure they came extra during this time.”
Along with the restriction, the state-wide mask mandate, the limits of mass assemblies and the capacity restrictions for various enterprises remain in force.
Evacuations have been suspended since the spring of last year, as people affected by the closure of pandemic businesses are struggling to pay their rent. President Joe Biden last week extended a similar nationwide moratorium on evacuations until March.
“Keeping people in their homes is an important way to slow the spread of the virus,” Cooper said.
Coronavirus vaccinations in NC
The moves come as North Carolina struggles 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 coronavirus vaccine it has received from the federal government so far, Cooper said.
“The sticking point right now for our state and nation is that there is not enough vaccine,” he said.
Get details of nearby COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
The limited supply has forced some counties to limit vaccination schedules in recent days.
Biden announced on Tuesday plans to increase weekly vaccine deliveries to states by 16% in at least the next three weeks. Cooper said the additional offer “will help, but we still need a lot more.”
The governor encouraged counties to continue to establish vaccination schedules, focusing on health care workers and people 65 and older and to create waiting lists so that people are ready to receive photos as soon as the state has enough. vaccine for them.
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger criticized the state’s “zig-zag” approach to vaccine distribution, saying officials should have considered existing appointments when making allocations instead of forcing the cancellation of those appointments.
“It’s just an indication that he’s inventing it as we go along, as opposed to planning things and making sure we have the best possible distribution plan,” said Berger, R-Rockingham. “The way they implemented it leaves much to be desired. “
State lawmakers, who returned to the session, could draft legislation on the distribution of vaccines, he said, but for now it remains in the hands of the Cooper administration.
The head of the WRAL Chapter Office, Laura Leslie, contributed to this report.