Gov. Roy Cooper announces modified stay-at-home order
Courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety
Gov. Roy Cooper dons a face mask at a press briefing.
December 8, 2020
Coinciding with rising case numbers and the holiday season, Gov. Roy Cooper announced a modified stay-at-home order that will go into effect Friday evening.
Executive Order 181, which Cooper announced Tuesday afternoon, will ask all North Carolinians to stay at home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
“We already have strong safety protocols and capacity limitations in place – including a statewide mask mandate,” the governor said. “With this additional action beginning Friday, we hope to get these numbers down. This order aims to limit gatherings and get people home where they’re safer.”
The order mandates businesses, including places like entertainment venues and bars, to close by 10 p.m. However, groceries, pharmacies and restaurants providing takeout or delivery may remain open after 10 p.m. On-site alcohol consumption is capped at 9 p.m.
As of Tuesday, North Carolina has surpassed 400,000 cases of COVID-19 at 404,032. Of those, 4,670 have been reported since yesterday; 2,373 people are being treated in hospitals, a new high, and 5,605 North Carolinians have died due to the virus, Cooper said.
The order will last into the new year, through Jan. 8.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
