Three weeks ago, as other states tightened COVID-19 restrictions, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned of worsening virus metrics but announced no new COVID measures. Two weeks ago, as hospitalizations and positive tests rates continued an alarming rise, Cooper told North Carolinians: âWe are in danger.â
Now, the governor has little choice but to act. North Carolina is experiencing record highs of cases and hospitalizations, and although hospital capacity is not urgently threatened at the moment, a continued spread could bring dire strain to health care systems in both urban and rural counties.
On Tuesday, Cooper took an incremental step toward confronting that surge with a âmodified stay-at-home orderâ that will require people to stay at home and businesses to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The order also will require all on-site alcohol consumption sales to stop at 9 p.m.