Gov. Cooper Issues Statewide Stay-At-Home Order, Enacted Monday Night

Governor Roy Cooper announced a statewide stay-at-home order for North Carolina Friday afternoon, marking the latest step to mitigate the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.

The order bans gatherings of more than ten people at a time and requires businesses to close or have employees work from home, with the exception of essential businesses. State health officials and the governor described the action as one to slow the spread of the virus and to prevent more people from quickly falling ill and overwhelming hospitals.

“Although we are physically apart, we must physically take these steps together in spirit,” said Cooper. “Even if you don’t think you have to worry about yourself, consider our nurses, hospital staffs, doctors…people who will be stretched beyond their capacity if we’re unable to slow the spread of this disease. Consider your families, consider your friends, people you might infect if you’re carrying the virus. We need to keep them safe.”

Cooper’s order will go into effect Monday at 5 p.m.

At Friday’s press conference, the governor address that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now have North Carolina listed as having widespread transmission, meaning that people who have tested positive have not come into contact with known positive tests or having traveled to an area with a high number of cases. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services reported on Friday more than 760 cases have come back positive,

The decision comes one day after Orange County announced its own stay-at-home order, which furthers the previous practices health officials are suggesting of staying home and only making essential trips outside the home. That order will go into effect at 6 p.m. on Friday and is slated to last five weeks.

The governor said any local governments that have already enacted a stay-at-home order, the more restrictive order applies, whether that’s the state or the local order.

Cooper said more than 200,000 unemployment claims have been filed recently, with most citing the coronavirus as the reason for their filing. He said the first unemployment benefits payments will be sent out next week and he’s fighting for more federal funding for businesses and employees.

“Many of you are already doing what you’re supposed to do,” he said, “even if it means you’re isolated or you might have lost your job. So, thank you for doing the right thing, and I’ll do everything in my power to cushion the economic blow. We will not forget those who’ve lost their livelihoods in this crisis.”

North Carolina reported its first coronavirus-related deaths this week, with NCDHHS reporting three deaths through Friday.