NC expects to lift most COVID restrictions by June 1, except mask mandate, Cooper says
Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that he expects to lift almost all restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic on June 1 but will keep North Carolina’s mask mandate in place.
Restrictions limiting capacity at indoor restaurants, bars and concert venues are among those that will be lifted, as well as limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings.
“With increasing vaccination rates and ongoing work to slow the spread of the virus, I anticipate that we will be able to lift all mandatory social distancing, capacity and mass gathering restrictions by June 1,” Cooper said.
The current existing order expires April 30. Cooper said he’ll issue a new order next week with safety restrictions for May.
The current order limits most outdoor gatherings to 100 people and indoor gatherings to 50 people. Retail establishments can operate at full capacity under the order, while restaurants are limited to 75% capacity inside. Bars, concert venues and sports arenas are limited to 50% capacity under the order.
North Carolina officials are planning to lift portions of the mask mandate on June 1 if COVID-19 trends remain generally stable.
“After June 1, we hope that that mask mandate would only be required for people in public places indoors,” Cooper said.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said that while North Carolina is targeting continued stable case counts and increased vaccinations by June 1, parts of the mask mandate would remain in effect until the state reaches the target of two-thirds of adults taking at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“This is where North Carolinians really need to roll up their sleeves, literally, and to help us get to that goal,” Cohen said. “And once we are able to get to that goal, we can further ease mask mandates and other public health guidance.”
Last week, three experts told The News & Observer that they are generally comfortable with outdoor gatherings, which are safer if there are people attending who have not yet had the COVID-19 vaccine. The experts recommended continuing to keep gatherings smaller for now, though, especially with new, more infectious variants of the coronavirus circulating in North Carolina.
Cohen said reaching the two-thirds target would mean that activities like Fourth of July fireworks and outdoor festivals could take place in an environment resembling a pre-pandemic setting.
“It’s up to you to get us to that two-thirds goal and beyond as quickly as possible, so we can live with this virus and begin to put this pandemic behind us,” Cohen said.
Cohen said there will be ongoing safety recommendations in large venues and places where there are children under 16, who are not yet eligible for vaccinations. She said masks will still be an important tool to stop the spread of the coronavirus. She expects masks to remain part of safety protocols for children at schools and summer camps, for example.
She said she is hopeful that children age 12 and up will soon be able to get the vaccine.
Cohen said vaccines “are our way out of this pandemic.”
Percentage of North Carolina residents who are vaccinated
As of Tuesday, 37.2% of North Carolinians are partially vaccinated while 28.1% are fully vaccinated.
Among adults, 47.1% are partially vaccinated and 35.8% are fully vaccinated.
In all, 3.65 million North Carolinians have received the first dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, while 2.69 million people have received both doses, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Another 253,704 people have been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. Federal officials have recommended a halt to use of the J&J vaccine while they investigate a very rare blood clot issue with at least six people.
There are some warning signs in the state data, however. Last week, the first full week that anyone over 16 was eligible for a shot in North Carolina, there was a decline in the number of first doses administered by providers who are receiving vaccines from the state allocation and the federal pharmacy program that is sending shots to places like CVS and Walgreens.
The 193,398 first doses given last week are far and away the lowest administered across the two programs since the week of February 15.
Cohen reiterated the importance of making the vaccine easy for people to find and to take, with same-day appointments and walk-ins available. The state health secretary noted that the vaccines are free, safe and have proven to be more effective in protecting against COVID-19 than she expected.
With ample vaccine supply and broad availability, Cohen said, it is up to individual North Carolinians to get the shot.
“That is really going to be the final arbiter in how quickly we can get to two-thirds,” Cohen said. “I want to see us get to two-thirds and beyond as quickly as possible, because that is the way that we put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror.”
VP Harris on ‘vaccine hesitancy’
Vice President Kamala Harris was in North Carolina on Monday touting the administration’s infrastructure and jobs plan. She also talked briefly about vaccine hesitancy and said health officials and leaders need to take the issue seriously.
”It’s real. So that is about continuing to do the work of reminding folks that it is safe, that it is effective, that it will save their lives,” Harris told reporters. “Reminding folks that it is not enough to get vaccinated — we also want to make sure that people continue to wear their mask, social distance, wash their hands.”
She said the vaccines are results of years of scientific work, and that what’s most important is “that everyone get their vaccine when it is their turn.”
Cooper joined Harris during her visit on Monday. He told reporters Wednesday that they talked about the pandemic and the response, and that he appreciated what her administration had done.
Harris describes Cooper as a longtime friend. Harris’ tenure as Attorney General in California overlapped with Cooper’s tenure as the Attorney General in North Carolina.
Wednesday, Cooper declined to answer questions about his potential interest in a future position with the Biden Administration, instead saying he is focused on his current term as governor and getting the state through the COVID-19 crisis.
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 2:07 PM with the headline "NC expects to lift most COVID restrictions by June 1, except mask mandate, Cooper says."
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