North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order Monday with tough language on enforcing the statewide mask mandate, but little action on limiting business activity that has contributed to rising coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in recent months.

The newly reelected Democrat said he does not want the state to go “backward” by shutting down businesses or schools. Instead, he’s holding out hope that increased compliance with existing health guidelines will stabilize the worsening trends.

“Our numbers are going up, but things are not on fire yet,” Cooper said in a news conference.

The governor pleaded with North Carolinians to adjust their Thanksgiving plans to avoid traveling, warning residents “are in danger.” His top public health official, Dr. Mandy Cohen, said the state is “on very shaky ground.”

Cooper unveiled a new alert system last week that assigns one of three colors to counties based on key coronavirus metrics. Cooper said Monday that 20 counties have fallen into the red “critical” spread category, up from 10 in the previous week. An additional 42 counties are labeled orange because they have “substantial community spread.” The remaining areas are yellow with “significant” spread.

Cooper’s order Monday doesn’t tighten occupancy limits on businesses. It instead stresses increased mask wearing, particularly at gyms and restaurants.

People exercising indoors must wear a mask if they are not within their own home. If they are outside and within 6 feet of someone who does not live in their household, they also need to be masked. College and professional athletes not actively competing or recovering from exercise must be masked.

The order requires all restaurant workers to wear a mask, even if they don’t interact with the public. Customers must also be masked, including at their table, when they are not actively eating or drinking.

Local police departments can fine businesses that fail to enforce the mask mandate, which was first issued in June. Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said at the news conference that businesses in her city can also be fined $100 for each person over the permitted capacity.

The new order makes it clear that individuals can be fined for not wearing a mask and charged with trespassing if they remain unmasked and refuse to leave a business premises.

Cooper said he wanted to give businesses and residents yet another chance to follow safety guidelines before he feels prompted to shutter parts of the economy.

“We want to give this a little more time to see if we can stem the tide of these numbers,” Cooper said. “I have a belief that the people of North Carolina can pull together and do this — and understand if we don’t, we will have to go backward. Right now, we think this is the right move. It’s a call to arms.”

His order goes into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday and expires at the same time Dec. 11.

North Carolina on Monday reported a single-day increase of more than 2,400 coronavirus cases, up from fewer than 2,000 at the same time last week. The state on Sunday saw its highest daily rise in cases since the pandemic began, with more than 4,500 new cases. Also on Sunday, more than 1,600 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, which is the highest number to date.

Photo via the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Related Stories
‹
Gov. Cooper Says Elementary Schools Can Move to Full In-Person Learning
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced the state’s COVID-19 trends indicate it is safe for elementary schools to reopen to full capacity for in-person learning. The governor made the announcement on Thursday, with state health officials citing improvements and stabilization in important coronavirus metrics. Cooper said school districts will have the option to choose whether […]
Monthly NC School Board Votes on Face Masks Stay in Place
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON Republicans at the North Carolina legislature have turned back efforts to repeal a new law that requires local school districts to vote regularly on face masks, a measure that critics say has contributed to some raucous board meetings. The House on Wednesday rejected an amendment to an education bill that […]
Interest on NC Taxes Paid Waived in Bill Signed by Cooper
North Carolina income tax filers won’t have to pay interest on payments turned in by the new May 17 deadline in a bill signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper late Tuesday. The legislation, signed by Cooper after the measure was given final legislative approval earlier Tuesday, addresses a result from an IRS decision to push […]
Cooper Address Focuses On COVID, Finding Agreement With GOP
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper recalled the pain and courage stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic in his State of the State address Monday, while urging Republicans to cooperate with him this year on health care, education and infrastructure needs. “In a year of hardship and loss, we owe it to […]
NC House Votes for Guardrails on Governor's Emergency Powers
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON North Carolina’s governor would have to get formal support from other elected leaders to carry out long-term emergency orders in a measure approved Wednesday by the state House. The 69-50 party-line result favored Republicans, who’ve chafed under Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s directives during the COVID-19 pandemic and drafted the legislation. Cooper’s […]
Bill Seeking To Limit NC Governor Emergency Powers Advances
House Republicans advanced a measure on Tuesday that requires North Carolina’s governor to obtain formal support from other elected leaders to enforce long-term statewide emergency orders. A state House judiciary committee voted for the legislation, which marks another response by GOP legislators to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive orders since his March 2020 emergency declaration due […]
NC Republicans Seek To Rein in Governor's Emergency Powers
North Carolina House Republicans on Wednesday launched another attempt to rein in the governor’s powers during state emergencies, citing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s wide-ranging actions to restrict commerce, schools and mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. On the one-year anniversary of Cooper’s first executive order involving COVID-19, several legislators filed a bill that would require the governor […]
Cooper, Legislative Leaders Announce Deal on K-12 Schools
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican legislative leaders announced compromise legislation Wednesday that will mean more K-12 students in North Carolina will return to daily in-person instruction, some almost immediately. The agreement, announced in a rare bipartisan news conference by some the state’s most powerful leaders, comes nearly two weeks after […]
Bar Owners To Postpone ABC Fees Under New Law Ok'd by Cooper
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill on Thursday allowing bar owners whose businesses were limited or shut down by COVID-19 restrictions to defer permitting fees to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission until they are allowed to fully resume operations. The new law that was introduced by House Republicans and unanimously approved by […]
Cooper, North Carolina Prison Officials Agree To Release 3,500 Inmates
North Carolina civil rights groups struck a deal on Thursday with Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration to allow for the early release of 3,500 inmates in state custody over the next six months. If the state abides by its commitment to trim about one-eighth of its more than 28,000-person prison population, the North Carolina branch of […]
›