ON WSOC TONIGHT TWO BIG
MOVES BY NORTH CAROLINA'S
GOVERNOR TO CURVE THE SPIKE IN
CORONAVIRUS CASES.
ONE, HE IS HITTING THE PAUSE
BUTTON ON REOPENING AND TWO, HE
IS ISSUING A MASK MANDATE.
WE ARE ADDING THIS NEW
REQUIREMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T
WANT TO GO BACKWARD.
SO, WHERE WILL YOU HAVE TO
WEAR A MASK?
AND HOW WILL IT BE ENFORCED.
PLUS, PHASE 3 PUT ON HOLD,
PUTTING A FURTHER STRAIN ON
BUSINESSES STRUGGLING TO
SURVIVE.
PEOPLE ARE OUT OF MONEY, OUT
OF TIME, WE HAVE NO OTHER
OPTIONS LEFT.
Reporter: NEW TONIGHT, WE
ARE LEARNING A BUSINESS OWNER
WHO IS FED UP AND TIRED OF
WAITING SO HE IS TAKING ACTION.
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'M ERICA BRYANT.
THE STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE WILL
BEGIN IN NORTH CAROLINA ON
FRIDAY AT 5:00 P.M.
THAT IS THE SAME DAY THAT MANY
HAD HOPED THAT PHASE 3 WOULD
BEGIN.
JUST WITHIN THE PAST 90 MINUTES
THE STATE UPDATED ITS GUIDANCE
FOR OUR SCHOOLS SAYING THAT
MASKS WILL NOW BE REQUIRED FOR
ALL STAFF, VISITORS, HIGH
SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
STUDENTS BUT NOT ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS.
MASKS WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED ON
SCHOOL BUSES.
HERE IS A LOOK AT THE
LATEST COVID-19 DATA.
CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS
CONTINUE TO RISE IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
TODAY THE STATE REPORTED MORE
THAN 1700 NEW CASES IN JUST THE
PAST 24 HOURS.
THAT IS THE SECOND HIGHEST 1-
DAY INCREASE SINCE THE PANDEMIC
BEGAN.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY NUMBERS ARE
CLIMBING.
TODAY, THE U.S. AS A WHOLE SAW
THE HIGHEST SINGLE DAY INCREASE
IN TWO MONTHS WHICH WAS THE
HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.
NEW TONIGHT, WE ARE
LEARNING A LEGISLATIVE PUSH TO
REOPEN GYMS AND BARS IN NORTH
CAROLINA HAS FAILED.
IN A VOTE, THE STATE HOUSE
FAILED TO OVERRIDE THE
GOVERNOR'S VETO OF A BILL THAT
WOULD OF ALLOWED THE BUSINESSES
TO REOPEN.
SO, WE HAVE A LOT TO DIVE INTO
TONIGHT.
GLEN COUNTS WILL GET INTO THE
PAUSE ON REOPENING.
AARON EDWARDS ON ENFORCING THE
MASK MANDATE.
WE BEGIN WITH JOE BRUNO
BREAKING DOWN EXACTLY WHAT THE
NEW RULES WILL BE.
JOE?
Reporter: ERICA.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXCEPTIONS
TO THE MASK MANDATE RANGING IF
YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION
THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM WEARING
ONE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ONE
ON.
IF YOU LOSE YOUR KID IN THE
STORE AND HAVE TO TRY TO FIND
THEM YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ONE
ON AS YOU LOOK FOR THEM, BUT,
DON'T GET ME WRONG, MOST CASES
YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A
MASK AND IN SOME CASES IT WILL
GET SOME GETTING USED TO.
Reporter: YOU CAN NOT EAT
OR DRINK WITH A MASK ON, THAT
IS OBVIOUS, BUT THE STATE'S
EXECUTIVE ORDER NORTH
CAROLINIANS WILL HAVE TO WEAR A
MASK ANY TIME THEY ARE NOT AT
THEIR TABLE.
LIKE WALKING TO BE SEATED OR
GETTING UP TO GO TO THE
BATHROOM.
IF YOU ARE SHOPPING IN A
GROCERY STORE OR AT A
DEPARTMENT STORE, MASKS WILL BE
REQUIRED STARTING FRIDAY AT
5:00.
IF YOU ARE IN A SALON OR A
TATTOO PARLOR YOU WILL NEED TO
KEEP ONE ON YOUR FACE, TOO,
UNLESS THE AREA UNDER YOUR MASK
IS WHAT IS BEING SERVICED.
A LOT OF THE BURDEN WILL BE ON
BUSINESSES TO ENFORCE THIS.
GOVERNOR COOPER SAID IN THE
LONG RUN THEY WILL BENEFIT.
REQUIRED FACE COVERINGS NOT
ONLY CAUSE 0 HARM TO OUR
ECONOMY THEY HELP OUR ECONOMY
BY MAKING IT SAFER TO SHOP, DO
BUSINESS, KEEP OUR SMALL
BUSINESSES RUNNING.
Reporter: NOW, WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT A MASK MANDATE WE ARE NOT
JUST TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS
YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IN A
DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
THE STATE DEFINES A FACE
COVERING AS A COVERING OF THE
NOSE AND THE MOUTH THAT IS
SECURE TO THE HEAD WITH TIES,
STRAPS, LOOPS OVER THE YEARS OR
WRAPPED AROUND THE LOWER FACE.
FACE COVERINGS CAN BE FACTORY
MADE, SEWN BY HAND OR SCARVES,
BANDANAS OR A TOWEL.
THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, MEDICAL
OR BEHAVIAL CONDITIONS, KIDS
UNDER LEVEL, EATING AND
DRINKING, STRENUOUS EXERCISE,
COMMUNICATING WITH SOMEONE
HEARING-IMPAIRED AND WHEN
GIVING SPEECHES FOR BROADCAST
OR FOR AN AUDIENCE.
THE EXECUTIVE ORDER SAYS PEOPLE
ARE TO ABIDE BY THE HONOR
SYSTEM WHEN IT COMES TO NOT
WEARING MASKS.
THE STATE IS TRUSTING THAT
PEOPLE ARE NOT WEARING THEM FOR
THE RIGHT REASONS.
LEADERS SAY THE SCIENCE IS
CLEAR.
THE MORE PEOPLE THAT WEAR THEM
TODAY THE BETTER WE WILL BE
TOMORROW.
FACE COVERINGS ONLY FULLY
WORK WHEN WE ALL DO IT.
IF EACH PERSON COMMITS TO
WEARING A FACE COVERING WE CAN
STABILIZE OUR COVID-19 TRENDS.
A LOT OF RULES AROUND THIS.
SO, MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING
DO WE KNOW YET HOW LONG THIS
PART OF THE MANDATE WILL BE IN
PLACE?
Reporter: ERICA, THE
GOVERNOR'S ORDER KEEPS THIS
MANDATE IN PLACE UNTIL JULY
17th.
BUT IT CAN BE EXTENDED.
CERTAINLY THE TREND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IS TO NOT TO
RESCIND THESE, IT IS SAFE TO
ASSUME THIS IS OUR NEW NORMAL
FOR THE FUTURE.
ON MY TWITTER THERE IS AN 18
TWEET THREAD THAT GETS INTO THE
NITTY-GRITTY.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT
TO KNOW ABOUT THIS MASK MANDATE
ON MY TWITTER.
ERICA?
THANK YOU, JOE, ALWAYS ON
TOP OF IT.
AS THE STATE ANNOUNCED THE
NEW MASK MANDATE ATRIUM
ANNOUNCED THEY ARE PARTNERING
WITH SEVERAL COMPANIES TO MAKE
SURE EVERYONE HAS A FACE
COVERING FROM THE CAROLINE
PANTHERS TO LOWES, ALL
COMPANIES ARE COMING TOGETHER
TO DONATE ONE MILLION MASKS TO
UNDER SERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS
THE STATE.
NOW TO THE OTHER PART OF
THE GOVERNOR'S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
TODAY.
THAT PAUSE ON OUR REOPENING.
WE WILL NOW REMAIN IN PHASE TWO
UNTIL AT LEAST JULY 17th.
A LOT OF BUSINESSES JUST AREN'T
HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
GLEN COUNTS IS CONTINUING OUR
COVERAGE TONIGHT.
GLEN, THE BUSINESS OWNERS YOU
TALKED WITH TONIGHT THEY ARE
TAKING THE GOVERNOR TO COURT OR
THEY PLAN TO IGNORE HIM ALL
TOGETHER?
Reporter: ERICA, WE ARE
HERE AT VICTORY LANES IN
MORRISVILLE, THE OWNER WAS
HOPING THE GOVERNOR WOULD ALLOW
HIM TO REOPEN ON FRIDAY.
THE ANSWER HE GOT WAS NO.
WELL, GUESS WHAT, HE PLANS TO
REOPEN ANY WAY.
TONIGHT WE GOT A LOOK AT WHAT
IT WILL LOOK LIKE AT A PRIVATE
EVENT TONIGHT.
Reporter: WHAT COULD BE
MORE NORMAL THAN THE SOUND OF A
BOWLING ALLEY?
A SOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE MISSED.
IT WAS WORTH THE DRIVE FOR
TWO HOURS TO COME HERE, ALMOST
TWO HOURS.
WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?
BURLINGTON.
Reporter: MICHAEL AND HIS
WIFE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO
THIS PRIVATE EVENT AND THEY
COULD NOT WAIT TO JUMP IN THE
CAR.
I ROLLED OVER AT 3:00 AND I
CAME BACK INTO BED AND SHE IS
LIKE, WE ARE GOING BOWLING
TOMORROW.
I AM LIKE I AM ASLEEP, WHAT DO
YOU MEAN WE ARE GOING BOWLING.
Reporter: HE HAS OWNED
BOWLING LANES SINCE 2017.
A FORMER PRO THAT LOVES THE
SPORT.
I DON'T THINK THAT STEVEN
KING COULD OF WRITTEN THIS
STORY.
Reporter: HIS CORONAVIRUS
SHUTDOWN NIGHTMARE JUST GOT
WORSE WHEN TODAY THE GOVERNOR
BLOCKED BOWLING ALLEYS AND
OTHER BUSINESSES FROM REOPENING
BECAUSE NORTH CAROLINA HAS NOT
BENT THE CURVE ENOUGH.
YOU CAN NOT CONVINCE ME THAT
A TINY LITTLE RESTAURANT WHERE
YOU CAN NOT EVEN GET 6 FEET
AWAY FROM ANOTHER CUSTOMER IS
SOMEHOW SAFER THAN A 48,000
SQUARE FOOT BUILDING WHERE WE
CAN EASILY PRACTICE SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
THE GOVERNOR HAS SIGNED A
DEATH WARRANT FOR MANY BAR
OWNERS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA.
Reporter: THE BAR AND
TAVERN ASSOCIATION WAS ALSO
FURIOUS WITH COOPER'S DECISION
DELAYING REOPENING.
BAR OWNERS DO NOT THINK IT IS
FAIR THAT RESTAURANTS WITH BARS
CAN OPEN AND THEY CAN'T.
WE ARE JUST AS CAPABLE OF
ENFORCING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND
MASK REQUIREMENTS AS ANY OF THE
OTHER BARS THAT ARE CURRENTLY
ALLOWED TO OPERATE.
Reporter: HE SAYS HE HAD
ENOUGH OF THE DOUBLE STANDARD
AND PLANS TO OPEN HIS BOWLING
ALOE ON -- BOWLY ALLEY ON
FRIDAY.
THERE IS PHASE ONE, THERE IS
PHASE TWO AND THEN THERE IS A
PHASE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
GLEN, LOOKING AT THE OWNERS
AND THEIR LAWSUIT, THEY SUED
THE GOVERNOR OVER THIS AS WELL?
Reporter: YES.
THAT IS CORRECT.
THOSE BAR OWNERS DID SUE.
THEY HAD A HEARING ON THAT LAST
WEEK.
RIGHT NOW BASICALLY ALL OF THE
PARTIES ARE JUST WAITING FOR
THE JUDGE TO COME OUT WITH A
RULING.
NOW, THERE IS NO SET DATE OR
TIME FOR THAT RULING TO COME
OUT.
IT COULD HAPPEN SOMETIME THIS
WEEK, IT COULD HAPPEN SOMETIME
NEXT WEEK.
ALL RIGHT, WE DID TALK ABOUT
IT EARLIER TODAY THOUGH THAT
THE OVERRIDE DID, THE
LEGISLATION FAILED BUT AGAIN
STILL WAITING ON THE OUTCOME OF
THE LAWSUIT, TOO.
THANK YOU, GLEN.
MEANWHILE, GOVERNOR COOPER
MADE IT CLEAR TODAY THAT IN
PHASE THREE HE HOPES TO EASE
RESTRICTIONS ON PLAYGROUNDS,
MUSEUMS AND GYMS COMING UP ON
JULY 17th.
HE DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING
MORE ABOUT BARS FOR THAT DATE.
NOW BACK TO THE MASK
MANDATE AND THE ISSUE THAT HAS
BEEN A TOP CONCERN FROM THE
VERY BEGINNING, HOW TO ENFORCE
THAT.
ERIN EDWARDS IS HERE WITH A
DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT THAT WILL
LOOK LIKE.
Reporter: FOR MONTHS WE
HEARD STATE AND LOCAL LEADER
SAY WEAR A MASK.
ONE THING THAT WAS HOLDING THEM
BACK FROM A MANDATE WILL BE
ENFORCEMENT.
NOW IT WILL BE THE BUSINESSES'S
RESPONSIBILITY OR THEY CAN FACE
A CITATION.
Reporter: NORTH CAROLINA IS
JOINING 16 OTHER STATES THAT
REQUIRE FACE MASKS IN PUBLIC.
WE ARE ADDING THIS NEW
REQUIREMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T
WANT TO GO BACKWARD.
Reporter: WITH THIS CHANGE,
ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS IS HOW
WILL IT BE ENFORCED.
I REACHED OUT TO FIND OUT IF
CITATIONS WILL BE GIVEN OUT TO
THOSE THAT WILL NOT WEAR MASKS.
CITATIONS WILL NOT BE GIVEN TO
INDIVIDUALS.
LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN CITE THE
BUSINESS FOR FAILING TO HAVE
EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS IN THE
PUBLIC-FACING BUSINESS.
THEY CAN BE CITED.
THE BUSINESS CAN BE CITED.
Reporter: IF A BUSINESS OR
ORGANIZATION HAS TROUBLE WITH
AN EMPLOYEE OR CUSTOMER
REFUSING TO WEAR A MASK THAT IS
WHEN OTHER CHARGES CAN COME
INTO PLAY.
THE POLICE CAN ENFORCE
TRESPASSING LAWS IN THAT
SITUATION.
I ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO BE
STRONG IN ENFORCING IT.
SLOWING THE SPREAD HELPS OUR
ECONOMY.
THESE FACE COVERINGS DO THAT.
Reporter: AS FOR THE 17
STATES WITH MASK REQUIREMENTS,
CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, HAWAII,
MARYLAND, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK,
AND PENNSYLVANIA ALL STARTED
THE MASK REQUIREMENT IN APRIL.
AND MOST OF THOSE STATES HAVE
SEEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN
CASES.
IN MAY, 6 MORE STATES FOLLOWED
ALONG.
OUT OF THOSE STATES, RHODE
ISLAND, NEW MEXICO,
MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE AND
ILLINOIS ARE ALL REPORTING
CASES STAYING OR STEADYING OR
DECLINING.
ALL FOUR STATES THAT ANNOUNCE
THEM HAVE BEEN TRENDING UP,
LIKE CALIFORNIA AND MICHIGAN.
WASHINGTON STATE WILL JOIN
NORTH CAROLINA STARTING A MASK
MANDATE ON FRIDAY.
I KNOW YOU LOOKED AT ALL OF
STATES HOW DID THEY HANDLE
ENFORCEMENT OF IT?
Reporter: MOST OF THOSE
STATES WERE ENFORCING THE
SIMILAR WAYS THAT CMPD WILL
ENFORCING.
WE COULD NOT FIND CASES WHERE
AN INDIVIDUAL FACED A CITATION
BUT PLENTY OF CASES WHERE
BUSINESSES REFUSED TO SERVE
SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT
WEARING A MASK AND THEY DID
CALL THE POLICE TO ASK TO
REMOVE THAT PERSON.
ALL RIGHT, ERIN, THANK YOU.
THERE IS A STUDY WHERE
THERE ARE MORE MASKS THERE ARE
FEWER NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES.
THE RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN THE
JOURNAL HEALTH AFFAIRS
ESTIMATES BETWEEN 230,000 AND
450,000 CASES HAVE BEEN
PREVENTED IN STATES THAT
ENACTED REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN
APRIL 8th AND MAY THE 15th.
THE DAILY NUMBER OF NEW CASES
DROPPED AS MUCH AS 2% IN THOSE
STATES.
THEY HAD LIMITATIONS, THOUGH,
INCLUDING THE INABILITY TO
MEASURE COMPLIANCE.
RESEARCHERS WERE ONLY ABLE TO
LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF
CONFIRMED CASES.
WEARING A MASK IN SOME
CASES HAS BECOME A POLITICALLY
CHARGED DEBATE.
A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT
THERE ABOUT MASKS.
TODAY, A DOCTOR WITH ATRIUM
HEALTH, A INFECTIOUS DISEASE
DOCTOR, SAYS WEARING A MASK CAN
HAVE A HARMFUL EFFECT ON YOUR
BREATHING.
I RHODE ISLANDINGS OF HIGH-
LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE, IT IS
NOT -- I HEARD PEOPLE TALKING
ABOUT HIGH-LEVELS OF CARBON
DIOXIDE.
THAT IS NOT TRUE.
AND PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO WEAR
A MASK BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT
VIOLATES THEIR RIGHTS.
LAST WEEK PEOPLE WERE URGED TO
BURN MASKS, THEY DO NOT DO
ANYTHING TO PROTECT YOU, EVEN
READING PART OF A LABEL ON A
BOX OF MASK SAYS A MASK DOES
NOT PROTECT YOU FROM VIRUSES.
WE ASKED THE DOCTOR ABOUT THAT
SPECIFIC CONCERN.
WHAT IS THE MEDICAL BENEFIT OF
WEARING A MASK?
HERE IS WHAT SHE SAID.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO IT FROM
THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE
STANDPOINT.
NO MASK IS PERFECT BUT WE DO
KNOW MASKS ON PEOPLE THAT ARE
INFECTED WITHOUT OR WITH
SYMPTOMS HELP THE LARGE DROPLET
THAT CAN BE FULL OF PARTICLES
FROM BEING OUT IN KIND OF
COMMON AREAS WHICH PREVENTS THE
POTENTIAL OF SPREAD TO OTHER
PEOPLE.
THEY APPOINT YOU TO IT DOES NOT