Governor Cooper issued Executive Order No. 138 that outlines what is allowed in North Carolina under Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan. The information is subject to change in light of new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance and additional Executive Orders or local government declarations.
- Phase 1 begins today, Friday, May 8, 2020 at 5:00p.m. and remains in place until 5:00p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2020.
- The Stay-at-Home Order has not been lifted. People should continue to stay at home. Executive Order No. 138 increases the number of reasons people are allowed to leave. All North Carolina residents should continue to stay at home except for the purposes outlined in the order.
- Anyone who is feeling sick should stay home and leave the house only to seek health care or for some other necessary reason.
- COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus, and state officials will continue to monitor key metrics. COVID-19 spreads easily from person to person, especially indoors or if people come in close contact for more than ten minutes. All residents should continue to exercise extreme caution when in public.
- Town of Davidson’s town hall and other facilities remain closed to the public during Phase 1.
- Phase 1 is different than the current Stay-at-Home Order in the following ways:
- Eliminates the distinction between essential and non-essential businesses;
- Allows most retailers (with exceptions) that can comply with specific requirements to open at 50 percent capacity;
- Allows people to leave home for non-essential goods or services;
- Encourages state parks and trails that are closed to open;
- Specifically allows people to gather outdoors while following social distancing guidelines with up to ten people;
- Opens child care to working families; and
- Encourages North Carolinians to wear cloth face coverings when outside the home in order to protect others.
- The following does not change in Phase 1 from the Stay-at-Home Order:
- A Stay-at-Home order remains in place;
- Mass gatherings are generally limited to no more than ten people;
- Teleworking is encouraged;
- Social distancing, hand hygiene, and other methods to slow the spread of COVID-19 should be practiced, including staying at least six feet apart;
- Restaurants and bars remain closed for dine-in service;
- Personal care and grooming businesses, including barber shops, beauty, nail, and tanning salons, and tattoo parlors, remain closed;
- Entertainment facilities, including movie theaters, bowling alleys, and performance venues, remain closed;
- Fitness facilities such as health clubs and gyms remain closed;
- People may leave their homes to obtain medical services, obtain goods and services, engage in outdoor exercise, take care of others or volunteer;
- Playgrounds remain closed;
- Open retail businesses must meet certain requirements to ensure the safety of their employees and customers; and
- Visitation continues to be banned at long-term care facilities, except for certain compassionate care situations.
- North Carolinians may leave their homes for the following allowable activities during Phase 1:
- Work at any business, nonprofit, government, or other organization that is not closed by an Executive Order, or seek employment;
- Take care of health and safety needs, including to seek emergency medical services, obtain medical supplies and medication, or visit a health care professional or veterinarian;
- Receive goods, services, or supplies from any business or operation that is not closed by an Executive Order;
- Engage in outdoor activities, including to walk, hike, run, golf, hunt, fish, or hike outdoors;
- Take care of others, including assisting a family member, friend or pet, or attend weddings or funerals;
- Worship or exercise First Amendment rights, outdoors and following social distancing guidelines;
- Travel between places of residence, including child custody or visitation arrangements;
- Volunteer with organizations that provide charitable and social services;
- Gather at other people’s homes with no more than ten people outdoors while following social distancing guidelines; and
- Provide or receive government services.
- Restaurants will remain closed for dine-in meals. Take-out, drive-through, and delivery services continue to be allowed.
- Shopping malls are open to the public. However, all congregation areas including food courts will remain closed. Shoppers are limited to going into retail locations only.
- All retail businesses must follow these requirements:
- Direct customers and staff to stay at least six feet apart except at point of sale if applicable;
- Limit occupancy to no more than 50 percent of stated fire capacity and ensure that social distancing of six feet apart if possible;
- Mark six feet of spacing in lines at point of sale and in other high-traffic customer areas;
- Perform frequent and routine environmental cleaning and disinfection of high-touch areas with an EPA-approved disinfectant of COVID-19;
- Provide, whenever available, hand sanitizer stations, and ensure soap and hand drying materials are available at sinks;
- Conduct daily symptom screening of employee before entering the workplace and immediately send symptomatic workers home;
- Have a plan in place to immediately isolate an employee from work if symptoms develop; and
- Post signage at the main entrances to remind people about social distancing guidelines, to request people who are or have been recently symptomatic not to enter, and to notify customers of the reduced store capacity.
- Retail businesses are also strongly encouraged to:
- Direct workers to stay at least six feet apart from one another and from customers, to the greatest extent possible;
- Provide designated times for seniors and other high-risk populations to access services; and
- Develop and use systems that allow for online, email, or telephone ordering, no-contact curbside or drive-through pickup or home delivery, and contact-free checkout.
- High-volume retail businesses, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, are strongly encouraged to:
- Install acrylic or plastic shields at cash registers;
- Clearly mark designated entry and exit points; and
- Provide assistance with routing through aisles in the store.
The Mecklenburg County Stay-at-Home Call Center will be closing on Friday, May 8 at 6 p.m. Residents with questions about the North Carolina plan can call 211.
Click here to view another chart of what Phase 1 includes.
For full details, see North Carolina Executive Order No. 138 and the associated Frequently Asked Questions. See the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service’s website for additional COVID-19 guidance.