NC moves to ‘modest’ Phase Two amid coronavirus. Restaurants can open; bars, gyms stay closed.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday signed an executive order moving the state into a “modest” approach to Phase Two of its reopening plan. It’s a more moderate step than originally planned, and the stay-at-home order will be removed on Friday at 5 p.m.
Cooper called Phase Two “safer at home.”
The move allows restaurants, which had been limited to take-out or delivery service, to open at 50% capacity for dine-in customers.
Personal care services, like hair salons, can also open at 50% capacity. Workers at personal care businesses, tattoo parlors must wear face coverings when they are within six feet of someone. Equipment and furniture that touch a customer must be cleaned and disinfected between customers.
Swimming pools can also open at 50% capacity, with additional restrictions. Summer camps, including overnight camps, may also reopen with restrictions. Childcare centers may reopen to all families.
Bars, nightclubs, indoor fitness facilities, public playgrounds and indoor entertainment facilities like movie theaters and bowling alleys will remain closed. Mass gathering restrictions will be no more than 10 people indoors and no more than 25 outdoors.
Professional and college athletes may resume training as long as they adhere to the mass gathering restrictions.
Cooper said religious services are exempt from the order, though there are recommendations.
This order is scheduled to run through June 26.
Meeting benchmarks
Cooper decided to make the move since the state is meeting three of its four benchmarks related to how the coronavirus is spreading throughout the state.
North Carolina has leveled the number of people hospitalized by the virus and the number of people presenting with COVID-like symptoms at hospital emergency departments have decreased. While the number of lab-confirmed cases is increasing, state health officials chalk that up to increased testing. Since the state’s percentage of positive tests among overall test remains around 7%, that percentage has leveled off in a way that it is acceptable to relax social restrictions.
“This virus is still a serious threat,” Cooper said. “But North Carolinians have made changes and sacrifices in their daily lives and that has helped to flatten the curve here. That means hospitals and the medical system can serve patients effectively for all kinds of illnesses including COVID-19.”
The state reported earlier Wednesday it has had 20,122 reported coronavirus cases, with 702 deaths, since early March. Cooper cited the rising number of lab-confirmed cases as his reason for modifying what had originally been allowed in Phase Two.
“Phase Two is another careful step forward,” Cooper said. “Since we announced Phase One, the state’s overall key indicators remain stable. However, the increases in COVID-19 cases signal a need to take a more modest step forward in Phase Two than originally envisioned.”
Restaurants reopening and restrictions
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, said earlier this week that trends were stable enough to start lifting restrictions this weekend. Also, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association shared guidance it received from DHHS to restaurants this week about how to reopen.
In Phase Two, restaurants are required to maintain at least six feet of distance between parties in seating areas both inside and outside. Restaurants are also required to mark six feet of distance in high traffic areas like near cash registers and waiting areas. Employees and customers are recommended to wear cloth masks, but not required.
Dine-in service at restaurants has been closed since Cooper’s March 17 executive order.
At a state legislature Senate committee meeting on Wednesday, Sen. Rick Gunn, a Burlington Republican, said new proposed legislation — right now in two separate bills — would allow restaurants, breweries, wineries, distilleries and bars to seat more customers. The bills would allow an additional 50% of its capacity, or 100 customers — whichever is less — outside, in addition to serving 50% of its capacity inside.
Scott Maitland, owns Top of the Hill restaurant, brewery and distillery, said that limiting a restaurant to only 50% capacity, “it’s a prescription for flat out losing money.”
Maitland said he has 100 people who are furloughed and is eager to bring them back.
“It is simply trying to make local business whole during very difficult times,” Gunn said in committee Wednesday. “We’ve got a chance to do something positive and responsible to help these industries and the 350,000 plus employees that they represent to get back to business faster, and at the same time responsibly.”
Cooper told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he had not read the proposed legislation yet.
Cooper said that restaurants know that safety precautions are good for business, and that his office has worked closely with the restaurant association. to do this right.
“We must take a cautious approach that works the right way,” he said. “Where we are right now is a good place for us to be.”
Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican who had been pressing Cooper to reopen businesses for weeks, still wonders why it took so long to do so.
“I’m glad the Governor has responded to the calls of senators, small business owners, and unemployed workers to let them get back to work,” Berger said in a statement. “When I asked Gov. Cooper to reopen restaurants and personal care services last week, the Governor said it wasn’t safe to do so.
“But according to data for yesterday, when the Governor began notifying people of his decision, North Carolina had more cases, more hospitalizations, and fewer tests performed than when I issued my call last week. It seems strange that it was unsafe to reopen last week, but it’s safe to reopen now with worse numbers. This gets back to the central question of what strategy is driving the Governor’s actions. What goal does he think is achievable?”
Bars, gyms, other businesses to remain closed
Gyms, bars and night clubs and other indoor entertainment venues were initially expected to open in Phase Two, but Cooper said Wednesday that the state needed to take a modest reopening approach due to the continued increase in COVID-19 cases.
“This is because the potential spread of COVID-19 can be significant there,” Cooper said.
Along with gyms, bars and night clubs, these businesses will remain closed in Phase Two:
▪ Amusement parks
▪ Public play grounds.
▪ Museums
▪ Music Halls
▪ Skating rinks
▪ Movie theaters
▪ Health and fitness clubs
▪ Bowling alleys
The order could be modified.
Worship services exempt
Worship services are exempt from the order.
A federal judge last week blocked the state’s limits on attendance at indoor worship services. Phase Two has recommendations on meetings and worship services, and social distancing is still recommended.
“I hope that congregations and leaders throughout North Carolina,” Cooper said, “will think twice about what they’re doing, will look at these recommendations and follow them for the health and safety of their members.”
A majority of congregations are not meeting indoors, he said.
Staff writer Lucille Sherman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 5:16 PM with the headline "NC moves to ‘modest’ Phase Two amid coronavirus. Restaurants can open; bars, gyms stay closed.."
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