GREENSBORO, N.C. — North Carolina will enter a new phase of easing COVID-19 restrictions. Governor Roy Cooper announced Tuesday the state will enter a Safer at Home Phase 2.5 plan starting on Friday, September 4 at 5:00 p.m.
Phase 2.5 means the following for North Carolina:
- Mass gathering limits will increase to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors from the current limit of 10 indoors and 25 outdoors.
- Playgrounds may open.
- Museums and aquariums may open at 50% capacity.
- Gyms and indoor exercise facilities, such as yoga studios, martial arts, and rock climbing, as well as skating rinks, bowling alleys, indoor basketball, volleyball, etc., may open at 30% capacity.
- Bars, nightclubs, movie theaters, indoor entertainment facilities, amusement parks, dance halls will remain closed.
- Large venues remain subject to the mass gathering limits.
“Safer at Home Phase 2.5 continues our state’s dimmer switch approach to easing some restrictions,” Cooper said.
The ease of restrictions will allow gyms, other indoor exercise facilities, playgrounds, museums, skating rinks, bowling alleys and aquariums to reopen at limited capacity.
However, other businesses including bars, nightclubs, movie theaters, indoor entertainment facilities, amusement parks, and dance halls will remain closed.
Gov. Cooper said the mask mandates remain in place along with other prevention methods against COVID-19.
“We can do this safely only if we keep doing what we know works — wearing masks and social distancing. In fact, a new phase is exactly when we need to take this virus even more seriously,” Cooper added.
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