NUMBER OF CASES CLIMBING ACROSS
THE CAROLINAS.
WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW FOR
EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 6:00.
AFTER THREE MONTHS OF
RESTRICTIONS YOU ARE ABOUT TO
FACE, YET ANOTHER ONE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE IS A
MASK REQUIREMENT IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
I AM ERICA BRYANT.
LET'S BREAK DOWN ALL OF THE
GOVERNOR'S DECISIONS RIGHT NOW.
FIRST AT 5:00 ON FRIDAY.
WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A
FACE COVERING IN PUBLIC IN
NORTH CAROLINA.
WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS.
MANY WERE HOPING TO SEE THE
STATE REOPEN EVEN MORE THIS
WEEK BUT THAT IS NOW ON HOLD AS
THE STATE WILL REMAIN IN PHASE
2 FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE
GOVERNOR LIFTING SOME
RESTRICTIONS ON THINGS LIKE
PLAYGROUNDS AND GYMS ON JULY
17th.
FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR
PEOPLE IT IS THE TOP PRIORITY.
NOW WE HAVE ALREADY FELT SO
MANY CHANGES IN OUR EVERY DAY
LIVES NOW WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE
TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY HOW THINGS
ARE GOING TO CHANGE EVEN MORE.
I WANT TO START NOW WITH THE
BIG CHANGE THAT YOU WILL NOTICE
THIS FRIDAY AND THAT MASK
REQUIREMENT WITH OUR JOE BRUNO
LIVE AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER,
AFTER PUSHING THE GOVERNOR FOR
MORE INFORMATION ON HOW THIS
WILL BE ENFORCED.
JOE?
Reporter: ERICA, STARTING
FRIDAY AT 5:00 P.M., NORTH
CAROLINIANS WILL HAVE TO WEAR
MASKS WHILE OUT AND ABOUT.
THE MAIN ISSUE AND CONCERN
WITH ALL OF THIS HAS ALWAYS
BEEN ENFORCEMENT.
TODAY IN A NEWS CONFERENCE THE
GOVERNOR SAID THAT BUSINESSES
CAN BE CITED IF THEY REFUSE TO
MAN DATE MASKS IN THEIR
ESTABLISHMENTS.
IF A CUSTOMER REFUSES TO WEAR A
MASK AND ALSO REFUSES TO LEAVE
THE BUSINESS THAT PERSON CAN BE
CITED FOR TRESPASSING.
THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, PEOPLE
WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS, KIDS
UNDER 11, AND PEOPLE EXERCISING
MORE THAN SIX FEET AWAY FROM
OTHERS.
ACCORDING TO THE EXECUTIVE
ORDER THERE WILL BE A HONOR
SYSTEM IN PLACE ON IF THERE IS
A REASON WHY THEY ARE NOT
WEARING A MASK.
THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT HE HOPES
THIS MANDATE WILL MAKE SURE
THAT THE STATE CAN REOPEN
SOONER.
REQUIRED FACE COVERINGS NOT
ONLY CAUSE 0 HARM TO OUR
ECONOMY, THEY, IN FACT, HELP
OUR ECONOMY.
MAKING IT SAFER TO SHOP, DO
BUSINESS, KEEP OUR SMALL
BUSINESSES RUNNING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKED ME
HOW IS THIS IMPACT ON
RESTAURANTS?
YOU CAN NOT WEAR A MASK WHEN
YOU ARE EATING OR DRINKING BUT
YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A
MASK WHEREVER YOU ARE NOT AT
YOUR TABLE.
YOU ALSO WILL HAVE TO WEAR A
MASK ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
IT WILL BE AN ADJUSTMENT FOR
SOME FOLKS OUT THERE, JOE,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT
REPORT.
CHANNEL 9 HAS BEEN
FOLLOWING THE OTHER MAJOR
DEVELOPMENT IN THIS.
PHASE THREE OF REOPENING
DELAYED AND THE IMPACT THAT IT
IS HAVING ON BOTH BUSINESSES
AND CUSTOMERS.
Reporter: A DELAY IS SO
TOUGH ON BUSINESSES TRYING TO
RECOVER.
THIS VIRUS IS CLEARLY STILL AN
ISSUE.
HERE IS WHERE WE STAND TODAY.
WE HIT OUR SECOND HIGHEST DAILY
TOTAL TODAY IN NEW CASES ABOVE
1700.
OUR SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF
HOSPITALIZATIONS AT 906.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THIS IS NOT
WHERE WE PLANNED TO BE OR
WANTED TO BE BUT THE NUMBERS
WILL KEEP NORTH CAROLINA FROM
MOVING AHEAD INTO EASING
RESTRICTIONS.
WE ARE STAYING IN PHASE 2 FOR
THREE MORE WEEKS WITH THE HOPE
TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON
PLAYGROUNDS, MUSEUMS AND GYMS
ON JULY 17th.
AT 5:00 I TOLD YOU ABOUT WHAT A
FITNESS STUDIO TOLD ME.
NOW WE ARE HEARING FROM THE
RESTAURANT BUSINESS.
I STOPPED BY PIZZA PEEL TODAY.
THEY HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT
LIMITED CAPACITY INSIDE.
ORIGINALLY THE PHASE 3 MIGHT OF
COME ON FRIDAY WOULD OF ALLOWED
INCREASE OF CAPACITY AT
RESTAURANTS.
WE KNOW IT IS NOT HAPPENING.
THE SUPERVISOR THAT WE SPOKE
WITH THAT OVERSEES SEVEN OF
THEIR RESTAURANTS SAID THEY
WERE NOT GOING TO LET MORE
PEOPLE IN.
AT THIS POINT WE ARE GOING
TO KEEP AS IS.
FOLLOW THE SAFETY GUIDELINES TO
ENSURE ALL OF OUR GUEST SAFETY.
WE ARE NOT REALLY SURE WHAT
PHASE THEIR WILL HAPPEN BUT WE
WILL NOT BE THE FIRST TO ACT ON
IT.
WE WILL KEEP THINGS WHERE WE
ARE RIGHT NOW.
HE SAID CUSTOMERS
APPRECIATED THE PRECAUTIONS
THEY WERE TAKING AND THEY DID
NOT WANT TO COMPROMISE SOCIAL
DISTANCING RIGHT NOW.
ERICA?
ALL RIGHT.
ELSA, THANK YOU.
THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS TAKING
STEPS TO FOLLOW THE GOVERNOR'S
ORDERS.
THANK YOU.
SO, HOW MANY OF US WERE
USING MASKS ALREADY?
THERE IS A RESEARCH STUDY JUST
RELEASED.
DATA FROM A POLL THIS WEEK THAT
SAID 65% OF ADULTS SAY THAT
THEY HAVE WARN A MASK IN STORES
ALL OR MOST OF THE TIME OVER
THE PAST MONTH.
ANOTHER 15% SAID THAT THEY DID
SO SOME OF THE TIME.