Gov. Cooper says further restrictions are coming for N.C. at Wednesday briefing

At a Wednesday afternoon briefing, Gov. Roy Cooper stated that further statewide restrictions are coming in the near future as the number of COVID-19 cases and corresponding deaths are expected to rise in the coming days.

The governor did not definitively verify that the upcoming restrictions would include a “Stay at Home” order, which has been initiated by 17 states as of Wednesday, but did say that the current guidelines and restrictions are the suggested minimum, and that North Carolinians should stay home whenever possible.

“We want to make sure people stay home,” said Gov. Cooper. “We know that people have to go to work, and go to the grocery store, and get medicine, and get some exercise, but we want people to understand the seriousness of this.

“And in addition to the guidance that we have provided thus far, we are working on additional guidance for the people of North Carolina so that people do stay home, and make sure they keep their social distance, because we’ve got to slow down this increase in cases that the state is seeing and that the country is seeing, and we have evidence that if we do keep our social distance, we can reduce the spread of this virus. It’s as simple as that.”

The Governor also offered condolences for the two COVID-19-related deaths in North Carolina, both at the afternoon briefing and in a press release issued on Wednesday.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones. This is a stark warning that for some people COVID-19 is a serious illness,” stated Gov. Cooper in the press release.

North Carolina has had at least 538 reported cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday afternoon, with well over 10,000 tests conducted, and thousands more still being processed.

Mecklenburg County has the most reported cases in the state, with 142. Durham County has 74, and Wake County has 73.

Dare County also had its first positive test result for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning, March 25, per an update from the Dare County Division of Public Health.

Though the test was conducted in Dare County, this case will not show up as a Dare County case with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, because a Dare County address was not used when the individual was tested.

Dare County Department of Health & Human Services staff is conducting an active investigation into this individual’s activity. Anyone who is determined to have had direct contact with the individual will be contacted.

Dare County Department of Health & Human Services will not release further details about the individual to protect their privacy.

General information about COVID-19 in North Carolina can be found here or call the NC COVID-19 hotline at 866.462.3821. For more information about COVID-19 in Dare County, visit darenc.com/covid19 or call 252.475.5008.