Gov. Roy Cooper Extends Modified Stay At Home Order, Statewide Curfew

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday (January 27) that he is extending the Modified Stay at Home order through February 28, including the statewide curfew that was put in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. The moratorium halting evictions was also extended as were rules allowing restaurants and bars to continue serving mixed drinks to go.

Cooper originally issued the Modified Stay at Home order in December as North Carolina was recording record-high daily increases in the virus. It was extended three weeks earlier this month and was set to expire Sunday. The order includes a curfew requiring most businesses to close and for people to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Cooper also extended the order allowing to-go sales of mixed drinks through the end of March.

"We are encouraged to see that our COVID number have stabilized in recent days, which is good," he said. "But the reality is that they are still high, and that so many people are still falling seriously ill and dying. The virus is still raging through our communities."

The governor also extended the eviction moratorium through the end of March, which he said falls in line with what experts have said about the spread of the virus.

"Health experts have shown that keeping people in their homes is an important way to slow the virus," he said. "An evictions moratorium is important as we stay under a Modified Stay at Home Order."

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