NC eases big COVID rules. What it means for Charlotte bars, shops, restaurants, museums

A year after Charlotte businesses began closing because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that many businesses — including retail stores, museums and salons — will be able to reopen at full capacity.

Those groups had been at half-capacity. Other businesses like restaurants, breweries and gyms will be able to open at 75% capacity indoors and 100% capacity outdoors. And bars can operate at 50% capacity, up from 30%.

The new order goes into effect Friday at 5 p.m. and is scheduled to run through April 30. It also removes the state’s previous limit on late-night alcohol sales.

All of the changes were welcome news to many around Charlotte, including Orgire McCoy, owner of Beatties Ford Road Hardware. Her reaction after Cooper announced his changes: “Thank Almighty God and give Him all the praise.”

McCoy said her 36-year-old store has been open throughout the pandemic as an essential business but revenue has been down about 15%.

As more people get vaccinated and as COVID-19 restrictions ease, people will likely feel more comfortable coming out to shop, she said. “Everyone has been struggling.”

Businesses will still need to make sure visitors are wearing masks and stay six feet apart — which could still limit capacity beyond the allowances of the new order, Cooper said. And the state’s mask mandate will remain in place.

‘I know we’re ready’

Local museums, including the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, also embraced the changes.

“I know we’re ready” to welcome more people at the museum, Gantt President and CEO David Taylor said. He and staff members were listening to Cooper detail the changes.

Taylor said the Gantt already has a number of safety measures in place, and will continue to operate safely as more people come to the uptown museum.

At Discovery Place, all of its museums have enforced mask wearing and required advance purchase of tickets for specific entry times since they reopened in September, President and CEO Catherine Wilson Horne said in a statement. She said she was pleased with Cooper’s latest move.

“We also have taken a conservative approach on capacity, choosing to allow fewer visitors than we are permitted to by the state,” Horne said. Discovery Place will continue that practice to ensure visitor safety and satisfaction.

Relief over restriction changes

NoDa “magick” supply shop Curio, Craft & Conjure co-owner Gianna Spriggs said she’s relieved to hear about the loosened restrictions and to see so many people get COVID-19 vaccines.

“NoDa went from being very busy on the weekends,” she said. “…It was kind of a ghost town for a couple of months and that was pretty worrying.”

The store is open, but may not reopen to full capacity or its pre-pandemic hours for a few more weeks, she said, “Just to keep things safe.”

Cautious about safety

The restriction changes are a good sign for local businesses, KK Bloom Boutique co-owner Clay Slaughter said. But the new order likely won’t change much for the Selwyn Ave boutique.

“It’s a signal that things are improving,” Slaughter said. “…But I think the emphasis needs to continue to be six feet of distancing and mask wearing.”

The boutique has had to adapt during a year of COVID-19 restrictions, he said. That includes adding a local delivery option online. Slaughter does a lot of those himself, adding, “It’s definitely been just a crazy time.”

Park Road Books owner Sally Brewster echoed the need to maintain safety precautions.

She doesn’t think the latest changes will have much of an impact now on customer traffic, since there is still a lot of shipping and curbside pickup at the bookstore.

One move Brewster may make, though, is to stay open on weekdays until 9 p.m., instead of closing at 7 p.m., as more restaurants in the shopping center increase their business.

Irish pub plans to reopen

Rí Rá Irish Pub in Charlotte has been closed since a brief reopening in August.

“It quickly became obvious that operating our business in that environment was not viable,” Rí Rá’s Quinn Witte told the Observer in an email.

The pub will not reopen immediately following the new executive order, Witte said, but the team is putting together plans and is committed to opening its doors again.

“Foot traffic on North Tryon Street will be the ultimate indicator that determines when we start serving pints again,” Witte added.

COVID changes won’t help all groups

As North Carolina reopens for business, not all Charlotte businesses have been able to reopen. Independent music venues like The Evening Muse, Neighborhood Theatre and The Fillmore remain closed.

Even at 50% capacity for live venues, Gregg McCraw with the Neighborhood Theatre said the facility won’t reopen yet.

“Changing the percentage capacity or the maximum number (of people allowed) won’t do anything for us until the minimum (six-foot) distance rule is lowered,” he said. “Changes from 30% to 50% or 250 to 500 won’t change our reality.”

Social distancing at three feet, such as the CDC has recommended for schools, would make the difference. For now, McGraw has planned a live outdoor drive-in music series at Rural Hill on Neck Road in Huntersville starting April 9.

Meanwhile, last Friday, after the Muse announced it will reopen in May with its first live show in more than a year, the shows sold out in hours.

‘Positive progress’

At least 32% of North Carolinians are partially vaccinated against COVID-19, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said Tuesday.

The increase in vaccinations means the state is ready to ease some restrictions, she said. But state residents still need to follow social distancing guidelines and wearing masks, Cohen added.

“We’re making positive progress, but our work is not done just yet,” she said.

Cooper emphasized the need for masks, adding: “This pandemic is not over yet.

“We want to strengthen our economy while keeping people safe,” Cooper said. “The last thing we want is to backslide.”

The latest stay-at-home order was set to expire Friday. This is the sixth time North Carolina’s Phase 3 coronavirus restrictions have been extended in some form since Oct. 2.

COVID numbers

Mecklenburg County data on Monday showed the best outlook in months. The countywide average March 4-17 of new cases per 100,000 residents was 210.6 compared to 247.3 the week before.

As of Monday, North Carolina has had 898,102 COVID-19 cases statewide and 11,836 deaths since the pandemic began last March.

Mecklenburg County reached a milestone in vaccinations last week: more than 100,000 county residents have now been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

But an increase in vaccinations in the area doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. It’s still possible the area could see a surge in COVID-19 cases, Novant Health infectious disease expert Dr. David Priest told reporters Tuesday.

Fragile progress in Mecklenburg could be upended by the spread of more contagious coronavirus variants and lax behavior over spring break — plus more businesses reopening under the new executive order, county Health Director Gibbie Harris said Tuesday. Mecklenburg recently issued an advisory urging people to avoid spring break travel.

“My concern is if we’re not careful with these openings and situations like spring break, we could see additional cases in Mecklenburg County,” Harris told county commissioners Tuesday. “I’m hoping that our community will continue to work with us on assuring we’re moving in the right direction.”

Editor Adam Bell and reporter Alison Kuznitz contributed

This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 2:20 PM.