COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina

On March 3, Governor Roy Cooper identified the first case of COVID-19 as a person who had traveled to Washington state and was exposed at a long-term care facility.[1] On March 6, the second case was announced in a man in Chatham County who had traveled to Italy in late February.[4] On March 7, North Carolina had five new positive cases reported in Wake County — all five had traveled to Boston in late February to attend a conference by the pharmaceutical company Biogen.[5]

A sign in North Carolina reporting the website for information on COVID-19.

A sign at a Starbucks that has become to-go only as a result of Roy Cooper's executive order.

Campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Monday morning, nearly deserted due to COVID-19

After five more presumptive confirmed positive cases were reported on March 9, North Carolina governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency on March 10.[6][7] Erik A. Hooks, Secretary of Public Safety, was charged with seeking federal aid and implementing the order, which protected consumers from price gouging, suspended some transportation regulations and healthcare licensing restrictions, and authorized temporary hiring and expansion of testing capacity, among other provisions.[7] On March 11, the University of North Carolina announced suspension of in-person classes at all UNC system schools starting March 20.[8][9] Duke University also cancelled all on-campus classes the same day.[10] On March 12, hours after Cooper requested that large events be postponed or cancelled, organizers canceled the 73rd annual North Carolina Azalea Festival.[11] On March 14, Cooper issued an executive order that prohibited gatherings of 100 or more people, closed public schools for two weeks, and encouraged the practice of social distancing.[12][13]

On March 15, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County jointly declared a state of emergency, restricting non-essential travel and gatherings.[14] On March 17, Cooper ordered all of the state's bars and restaurants to suspend dine-in service.[15] On March 19, the state confirmed its first community spread of the coronavirus.[16]

In order to address the economic damage due to the pandemic, the North Carolina government extended the deadline for paying taxes to July 15, the same extension that the IRS made for federal taxes.[17][18] On March 20, the National Guard was called in to assist with logistics and transportation of medical supplies. On March 21, Cooper waived restrictions to increase access to caregivers, to provide child care and elder care during the coronavirus pandemic.[19]

On March 22, Mecklenburg County announced a partnership with local charities to cover one week cost of people staying in hotels and motels to keep the tenants from being evicted.[20] On March 23, Governor Cooper closed all K-12 public schools statewide through May 15, banned mass gatherings of over 50 people, and closed some businesses, including gyms, movie theaters, sweepstakes parlors, health clubs, and other similar facilities.[21] Madison County, Pitt County, and the Town of Beaufort all issued shelter-in-place orders.[22] On March 24, Mecklenburg County announced a stay-at-home order that came into effect on March 26.[23] On March 25, state officials confirmed the first coronavirus death. The death was a patient in their 70s with underlying medical conditions, who was residing in Cabarrus County.[24] Guilford County issued a stay-at-home order to curb the coronavirus spread. The order remained in effect until April 16.[25] On March 26, Cabarrus County, Durham County, Orange County, and Wake County all issued stay-at-home orders.[26][27][28][29]

On March 27, Cooper issued a statewide stay-at-home order scheduled to go into effect on March 30 and to last for at least one month. The order also banned gatherings of 10 or more people, with the governor calling it "truly a matter of life or death."[30] On March 30, Governor Cooper's statewide stay-at-home order went into effect at 5 p.m.[31]

On April 9, Governor Cooper issued a new executive order that restricted the number of customers inside grocery and retail stores, increased hygiene requirements of food service, and implemented stricter guidelines for long term care facilities. There have been outbreaks of COVID-19 at several such facilities across the state.[32]

Effective April 20, Durham County began requiring residents to wear face masks in public places.[33]

On April 23, Cooper extended the stay-at-home order to last until May 8. At the same time, he announced plans for a three-phase process to reopen the state based on the state meeting certain benchmarks for "testing, tracing and trends." While the federal guidelines called for a decrease in confirmed cases, percentage of positive tests, and hospitalizations, Cooper and state health secretary Mandy Cohen said they would be content with "sustained leveling" of hospitalizations and confirmed cases. Cooper also pressed for significantly ramping up testing, as well as the ability to perform contact tracing. He also wanted to supply more PPE to the state's hospitals. Under this plan, the stay-at-home order would be significantly eased on May 8, and rescinded altogether as early as May 22.[34][35]

On May 5, Cooper announced that the stay-at-home order would be significantly eased on May 8, beginning "Phase 1" of the reopening process. Retail stores will be allowed to reopen, provided they can maintain social distancing. People will also be allowed to socialize with friends outside, though gatherings will still be limited to ten people. If current trends continue, the stay-at-home order would be rescinded altogether as early as May 22, allowing the state to begin "Phase 2" of reopening.[36]

On May 12, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 23 meat processing plants were infected.[37] On May 20, it was reported that 570 people at a Tyson Foods plant in Wilkesboro had tested positive for the virus.[38]

On May 20, NCDHHS announced that its COVID-19 North Carolina Dashboard had been enhanced to include death counts by county or zip code, cases by date reported, and daily numbers.[39][40]

On June 2, Cooper informed Republican National Committee (RNC) officials that face coverings and social distancing would be required at the 2020 Republican National Convention planned for August 24-27 in Charlotte, prompting Trump and the RNC to announce their plans to move the convention out of North Carolina.[41][42][43]

In June, some local governments, such as those in Raleigh, Boone, and Orange County, began requiring face masks.[44][45]

On June 24, Cooper announced that face masks would be required in public places statewide starting June 26. In light of increasing case numbers and hospitalizations as well as high positive test rates, he also announced that the state would "pause" reopening.[46][47][48]

Most of North Carolina's sports teams were affected. Several leagues began postponing or suspending their seasons, beginning this process on March 12. On that date, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the season would be suspended for 30 days, affecting the Charlotte Hornets.[49] In the National Hockey League (NHL), the season was suspended for an indefinite amount of time, affecting the Carolina Hurricanes.[50] On March 14, the Hickory Motor Speedway was forced to cancel all racing events, due to an executive order issued that banned gatherings of 100 or more.[51] The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men's Basketball Tournament, held in Greensboro, NC, announced March 12 that it would cancel its final three games after Duke University informed tournament officials that the team would not play the quarterfinal game scheduled against NC State.[52][53]

Governor Cooper required non-essential businesses to close, in an effort to decrease the spread of coronavirus in. Restaurants are only allowed to provide drive-in or carryout services. As a result, many businesses have laid off workers, and the state unemployment system reports over 500,000 unemployment claims related to coronavirus so far.[54]

COVID-19 outbreaks have been reported in multiple long term care facilities and nursing homes across North Carolina,[32] prompting Governor Cooper and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCDHHS) to issue further restrictions in these settings, such as stopping group meals and conducting routine temperature checks for employees and residents. The highest coronavirus counts have occurred at two facilities in Orange County: Pruitt-Health Carolina Point, and Signature Health, where 110 people (staff and residents) have tested positive for COVID-19. In Rowan County, as of April 27, information from the state showed 144 people tested positive at The Citadel, and the county health department reported 16 of them had died.[55] In Cabarrus County, the county health authority reported 74 people tested positive at Five Oaks Rehabilitation, and five of them died.[56]

As of May 16, nursing homes and residential care facilities accounted for 2,950 cases and 391 deaths.

The Wayne County Health Department reported their first recorded death on April 23 after testing positive on April 18, and that as of April 20, Neuse Correctional Institution had approximately 450 of its 700 inmates test positive, and all inmates were to be tested; few reported symptoms. All of the staff could be tested as well. As of April 24, positive cases had risen to 465.[57]

Pender Correctional Institution, in eastern North Carolina reported the state's first death in a prison.[58]

As of May 16, prisons accounted for 1112 cases and 14 deaths.

On March 19, ProPublica revealed that Senator Richard Burr allegedly used his position as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee to mislead the public about COVID-19. He sold $628,000 and $1.72 million of stock on February 13, days before the market crashed.[59] On February 27, Burr attended a luncheon held at a social club called the Capitol Hill Club, where he privately told members that COVID-19 "is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything that we have seen in recent history," and "probably more akin to The 1918 pandemic."[60]

On March 30, the Department of Justice, in coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission, reported that a formal probe would be launched into the stock sales made by several legislators, including Burr, during the early days of the coronavirus epidemic.[61]

On May 14, Senator Burr said he would step aside from his role as Chairman of the Intelligence Committee until the FBI completed its investigation.[62] On May 13, the FBI served a search warrant on Burr at his Washington residence, and seized his cell phone.[63]

A ReOpenNC Facebook group was started on Tuesday April 7, and by Sunday April 12 it had accrued 15,000 followers.[64] In Raleigh, about 100 people protested outside the capitol building on April 14. One woman was arrested for violating the governor's order and refusing to leave the parking lot.[65] A second "ReOpen NC" protest of about 300 people was held on April 21—a day on which the state's coronavirus death toll increased by 34 to a total of 213.[66] A leader of the ReOpen NC group revealed in a Facebook post that she tested positive for COVID-19. She described herself as an “an asymptomatic COVID19 positive patient.” After her antibody test came back negative but her COVID-19 test result was positive,[67] she was given a quarantine order. She has alleged that this violated her civil rights.[68] On May 12, a protest organized by Ashley and Adam Smith started in Raleigh with around 100 people and grew to around 400 as it neared downtown. Todd Stiefel, a Raleigh philanthropist who is immuno-compromised, paid for a small plane to fly a sign that read "Fewer graves if we reopen in waves" in a counter-protest. Though Smith had previously announced via Facebook that ReOpenNC would relaunch as a legal nonprofit to oppose Governor Cooper's administration in the courts, Smith around the May 12 protest announced that "roadblock after roadblock" prevented this re-arrangement.[69]