Fireworks in the forecast? Guidance for summer activities coming, NC governor says
As warmer temperatures arrive and summer vacations approach, North Carolina will soon have guidelines for what activities can be done safely, said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Tuesday.
Cooper said Tuesday a forecast is coming soon as officials talk to health experts and businesses and follow COVID-19 data trends to determine when and how to ease restrictions.
“Soon we’ll be giving you a forecast about what to expect as the summer approaches and some of the things that we can safely do by July the 4th,” he said.
College graduations are about a month away, and K-12 schools let out for the summer in about two months. Summer camp registration is opening in Triangle communities.
“I know that as summer approaches, many people are curious about how things will change and what to expect,” he said.
The state remains under restrictions in terms of social distancing, venue capacity and social gatherings. A mask mandate also remains in place. The most recent executive order relaxed many restrictions, including capacity at restaurants, bars and retail stores. It’s set to expire on April 30.
At the same time, more people are getting vaccinated. Almost 40% of North Carolina adults have been at least partially vaccinated and more than a quarter are fully vaccinated.
Cooper said the state’s COVID-19 status is “in a stable position” but still urged caution as cases increase in other parts of the U.S. and new variants spread.
“I think we’re in as good of shape as we can be right now,” Cooper said. “I don’t think any of us had imagined that we would be where we are with the number of people we’ve gotten vaccinated with this safe and effective vaccine. We’ve still got more to do.”
The Fourth of July is less than three months away and celebrations generally feature crowds for parades and to watch fireworks. Now, gatherings like parades and festivals are subject to mass gathering limits of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, which could affect some summer activities. Health officials discourage large indoor gatherings as COVID-19 is more prone to spreading inside.
Under the most recent executive order, several businesses enjoyed in the summertime can be open at 100% capacity, including museums, aquariums, amusement parks and outdoor pools. Indoor pools and amusement parks are now open at 75% capacity, as are bowling alleys.
Bars, movie theaters, gaming facilities, conference centers, music venues and sports arenas are open at 50% capacity, with movie theaters and gaming facilities at 75% outdoors.
COVID vaccinations, data
Tuesday, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 2.1 million people, or 25.7% of eligible North Carolinians, are fully vaccinated. An additional 1.21 million people have received one dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech two-shot vaccine series.
Anyone who is at least 16 years old will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.
“The more people we vaccinate, the more we can safely do,” Cooper said.
Providers are only allowed to give the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 16- and 17-year-olds right now. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only available to people 18 and older.
To help teenagers find the age-appropriate shot, the state has added a way to filter vaccine clinics by vaccine type on its myspot.nc.gov vaccine finder.
“We know everyone’s not going to get a vaccine tomorrow,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Helath and Human Services.
“But we encourage folks to start really making sure that they’re putting that on their to-do lists, making sure they’re getting their appointment and getting their vaccine because the quicker we vaccinate everyone, the safer we all are as a state.”
Cooper and Cohen said DHHS is working on ways to make electronic records of vaccinations easily available to patients through what some are calling “vaccine passports.”
“Obviously you need to be careful with civil liberties and privacy, but we think that ought to be available to anybody who asks for it,” Cooper said.
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