Gov. Cooper warns that July 4 weekend could intensify COVID-19 spread in the state

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday warned that the upcoming Fourth of July weekend could cause the coronavirus spread to intensify if people don’t take precautions.

“As we go into the holiday weekend, we must keep our guard up,” Cooper said during a news conference. “I know we want to gather with family and friends, but we have to remember that a large gathering, especially without masks and social distancing, is one of the most likely places for COVID-19 to spread.”

State health officials earlier Wednesday said the state recorded 1,843 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, a single-day high. The state has recorded 1,477 new cases per day over the past seven days.

“We are almost getting numb to hearing these numbers, but they are big numbers every day,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

DHHS has recorded 66,513 cases since the pandemic began, with 45,538 people presumed to be recovered. The state’s death toll is 1,373.

The seven-day average of the percent of positive tests is now 9.3%. Cooper called that a “stubbornly high percentage of positives.”

Cohen wants that percentage to drop to 5%.

During the news conference, Cooper reminded state residents that he implemented a statewide order last Friday that requires, with a few exceptions, face coverings to be worn while in public spaces. He also once again emphasized the advice of state health officials to wear a face covering, wait six feet away from others and wash hands frequently.

Cohen said that all North Carolinians have the power to slow the spread of COVID-19, including this holiday weekend.

‘We do not want to see a surge’

“There are safe ways to watch a fireworks show, doing it outside, being socially distant, doing it from your car, those kinds of options,” Cohen said.

“We really want to make sure folks are employing those options as they think about planning for this coming weekend. We do not want to see a surge in cases that links back to a large gathering that may happen on a holiday weekend.”

The governor had been expected to make an announcement this week about reopening the state’s schools. The North Carolina General Assembly, in a COVID-19 relief bill that Cooper signed in early May, set the first day of the school year as Aug. 17. That’s a week earlier than normal. The state has floated three possible ways to reopen schools, with a range of restrictions and in-person and digital learning. Cooper told reporters on Wednesday that the statewide schools announcement will now be coming in a couple of weeks.

Cooper also has been sent — and vetoed — multiple bills that would reopen businesses currently closed under Phase 2, which the governor extended until July 17.

Face covering compliance

The governor said schools are his reopening priority right now, and urged people to follow the “three Ws” — “especially the face covering part, which we learn everyday to be more and more important to this process.”

He said there has been “a lot of compliance across the state” of wearing face coverings. Cooper wore a Carolina Hurricanes mask for the news conference.

“We want to make sure that people abide by this face mask law,” he said.

On July 17, Phase Three is scheduled to start, which would reopen more businesses and lift restrictions on gathering sizes.

This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Gov. Cooper warns that July 4 weekend could intensify COVID-19 spread in the state."