Triangle Business Journal Reported – Gov. Roy Cooper announced a major step forward on Friday for North Carolina as the state recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
Cooper is immediately lifting all mandatory indoor and outdoor capacity limits for businesses, event venues and gatherings. Cooper is also lifting social distancing requirements and most mandatory mask requirements. The decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control on Thursday said people who’ve been fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask indoors and outdoors. It also comes as the state’s daily new cases of Covid-19 remain steady and the number of hospitalizations drops.
Cooper’s action will be a major boost for restaurants, bars and the rest of the hospitality industry, which has been hit hardest by the pandemic’s economic toll. Cooper said that businesses can still require customers to wear masks and social distance.
Cooper, who was not wearing a mask during the press conference, said there will continue to be mandatory mask requirements for public transportation, health care settings such as hospitals and doctors offices, and childcare and schools – because most children are not yet eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccines.
