Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Wednesday (January 6) that he was extending North Carolina's modified Stay at Home order as the state surpassed 7,000 coronavirus deaths and recorded its highest positivity rate since the start of the pandemic. The announcement comes just one day after Gov. Cooper mobilized the state's National Guard to assist with vaccinations.
The Stay at Home order was set to expire on Friday, but it has now been extended through January 29. The order instituted a statewide curfew that requires most residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Non-essential businesses, such as gyms, restaurants, and retail, are also required to close at 10 p.m., but grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations are allowed to remain open.
Numbers released on Wednesday show that North Carolina has recorded 7,076 COVID-19 deaths from since March 2020. Additionally, after reporting over 16% positivity rate over the last two days, Wednesday saw that number jump to 17.8%, a far cry from the state's goal of 5%.
Both the governor and Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen offered stark warnings for North Carolinians on Wednesday about the rapidly increasing viral spread. According to Dr. Cohen, 96% of North Carolina counties are in the "red" and "orange" on the state's COVID-19 county alert system, meaning that the majority of the state is experiencing critical and substantial spread of the virus.
On January 1 and 2, the state recorded more than 9,000 new cases of coronavirus. Concerned about the "alarming amount of virus" in the state, Cohen issued a secretarial directive for North Carolinians: stay at home and only leave for essential activities, such as work, school, and buying essential items; and don't gather with people you don't live with.
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