ROCKINGHAM — Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday announced that he’s easing up on COVID-related restrictions later this week.
The partial relaxation comes after weeks of declining cases and hospitalizations across North Carolina.
Cooper’s latest executive order, which goes into effect at 5 p.m. Friday, eliminates the 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew the governor enacted in early December; and increases the indoor gathering limit from 10 to 25 — though, outdoor gatherings are still limited to 50.
The governor’s order also allows bars to have 30% capacity for indoor seating, up to 250 people. Previous orders only allowed limited outdoor seating.
The regulations against bars have been at the crux of several lawsuits.
Other places with 30% seating include:
According to the governor’s office, indoor venues that seat more than 5,000 may exceed the 250-person limit if they meet safety requirements.
The following venues are allowed a 50% capacity:
(See the executive order attached below.)
“Today’s action is a show of confidence and trust, but we must remain cautious. People are losing their loved ones each day,” Cooper said. “We must keep up our guard. Many of us are weary, but we cannot let the weariness win. Now is the time to put our strength and resilience to work so that we can continue to turn the corner and get through this.”
The mandate on face coverings outside the home remains in place and law enforcement officers are authorized to enforce the requirement.
The order is set to expire March 26.
Daily case numbers have been on a mostly downward trend for the past two weeks. However, the numbers on Wednesday (3,346) were more than double that of Tuesday (1,514), according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Richmond County Health Department, on the other hand, reported only six new cases. Aided by 13 new recoveries, the number of active cases dropped to 123 — the second-lowest since mid-November, when cases started to surmount.
COVID-related hospitalizations on Tuesday dropped to 1,530, according to DHHS. However, local and regional hospitalizations have slightly increased: seven in Richmond County; 30 in FirstHealth facilities (8.3%).
The new hours for the free drive-thru testing clinic behind the Health Department are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays. However, times may be altered due to weather conditions.
According to the Health Department, 31,089 test results have been negative and 4,139 have been positive. Richmond County has also recorded 89 COVID-related deaths.
