DR. COHEN.
I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WE’RE ENCOURAGED TO SEE NORTH CAROLINA HOLDING STEADY ON MOST AND DECREASING ON SOME OF OUR KEY DATA METRICS.
NORTH CAROLINIANS, MOST OF YOU ARE SHOWING, YOU KNOW HOW TO FIGHT THIS DISEASE AND MOST OF YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELVES.
REMEMBER EVERY TIME YOU WEAR YOUR MASK OR SOCIAL DISTANCE.
YOU’RE HELPING OUR STATEWIDE NUMBERS SO WE CAN EASE RESTRICTIONS.
YOU’RE PROTECTING PEOPLE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN.
YOU’RE SAVING LIVES.
AND YOU’RE SLOWING THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.
BECAUSE OF OUR STABLE NUMBERS TODAY, WE’RE READY TO TAKE A CAREFUL STEP FORWARD.
NORTH CAROLINA WILL MOVE INTO SAFER AT HOME PHASE 2.5 BEGINNING THIS FRIDAY.
SEPTEMBER THE 4TH AT FIVE PM HERE’S WHAT’LL HAPPEN.
FIRST OUR AT-RISK POPULATION IS STILL SAFER AT HOME.
FOR THOSE OVER 65 AND THOSE WITH HEALTH RISK.
WE URGE RESPONSIBILITY IN YOUR CHOICES.
THE LIMITS ON MASS GATHERINGS WILL INCREASE TO 25 PEOPLE INDOORS 50 PEOPLE OUTDOORS.
PLAYGROUNDS WILL BE ALLOWED TO OPEN.
MUSEUMS AND AQUARIUMS CAN OPEN AT 50 PERCENT CAPACITY.
GEMS AND OTHER END OR EXERCISE FACILITIES CAN AT THIRTY PERCENT CAPACITY.
THE AGE REQUIREMENT FOR MASK-WEARING WILL INCLUDE CHILDREN DOWN TO AGE FIVE.
CAPACITY LIMITS AT RESTAURANTS AND PERSONAL CARE BUSINESSES LIKE HAIR AND NAIL SALONS WILL REMAIN THE SAME.
FOR ALL OF THESE THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL SAFETY MEASURES REQUIRED.
SOME PLACES WILL REMAIN CLOSED INCLUDING BARS NIGHTCLUBS MOVIE THEATERS, INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT AND AMUSEMENT PARK.
AND LARGE VENUES WILL STILL BE SUBJECT TO THE MASS GATHERING LIMITS.
WE KNOW THAT BIG GATHERINGS ARE AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS SETTINGS FOR TRANSMISSION OF THIS DEADLY DISEASE.
ALSO AS WE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THE 11:00 P.M. CURFEW ON ALCOHOL SALES AT RESTAURANTS HAS BEEN EXTENDED OCTOBER THE SECOND.
SAFER AT HOME PHASE 2 .5 CONTINUES OUR STATE’S DIMMER SWITCH APPROACH TO EASING SOME RESTRICTIONS.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
WE CAN DO THIS SAFELY ONLY IF WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE KNOW WORKS.
WEARING MASS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING MUSA MOVING TO PHASE 2.5 MEANS THAT WE CAN LEE DO A FEW MORE THINGS WHILE STILL FIGHTING THE VIRUS AS VIGOROUSLY AS EVER.
IN FACT A NEW PHASE IS EXACTLY WHEN WE NEED TO TAKE THIS VIRUS EVEN MORE SERIOUSLY.
WEAR A FACE MASK WASH YOUR HANDS.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE WAITING SIX FEET APART.
THESE THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT.
AND UNTIL WE HAVE A VACCINE OR A RELIABLE CURE THE PRECAUTIONS LIKE THE 3 WS ARE WITH US FOR A WHILE.
LIFE MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT THESE DAYS, BUT EVERY TIME WE WEAR A MASK WE HELP OUR ECONOMY BY SLOWING THE SPREAD.
WE MAKE IT SAFER TO VISIT OUR FAVORITE STORES AND RESTAURANTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES.
WEARING A MASK IS AN EASY WAY TO LOOK OUT FOR PEOPLE.
I’VE SEEN THE TREMENDOUS THINGS THAT NORTH CAROLINIANS WILL DO TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AFTER A STORM OF FLOOD EVEN AN EARTHQUAKE OR A LOCAL CRISIS A MASK.
THAT’S NOT HARD AT ALL COMPARED TO THE LINKS.
I’VE SEEN NORTH CAROLINIANS GO TO HELP EACH OTHER.
SO LET’S KEEP DOING WHAT WE KNOW WORKS.
LET’S STAY STRONG AND LET’S BEAT THIS VIRUS.
I KNOW WE CAN.
I KNOW THAT WE CAN COME OUT