Updates from Gov. Cooper's COVID-19 briefing:
North Carolina has passed the solemn benchmark of 2,000 people who have died from this virus. Every single one of them represents a family in mourning and a community grieving their loss. They are more than numbers on a chart – they are North Carolinians who are missed dearly.
I went to Bertie County where the storm spawned a deadly tornado, leaving 2 people deceased, about a dozen injured and a trail of devastation behind. I thanked the rescue teams who assisted people who were trapped & got people to medical care. Their heroic efforts make us proud.
And I saw some of the most heavily damaged areas. This storm flattened parts of Bertie County, and we must be there to support their recovery as they put their community back together. Tomorrow, I will visit Southeastern NC that experienced destructive storm surge and winds.
A hurricane on top of a pandemic is cruel. But our emergency managers and first responders were prepared to handle both crises at once. And our people are showing their resilience. Throughout, North Carolina continues its fight against COVID-19.
As I said last week, stable is good, but decreasing is better. And while we are seeing stabilization of our numbers, that doesn’t mean we can let up. You only have to look at hospitals in other states that have been overwhelmed when reopening occurred too fast.
In North Carolina, we’ve used a dimmer switch approach to easing restrictions. This ensured we didn’t open too much, too quickly, which health experts say can lead to a devastating increase in cases, sickness & death. And it can lead to having to go backward like other states.
There are key openings already occurring this month. August means back-to-school time for our K-12 students as well as our colleges and universities. But it’s not business as usual this year for our schools.
Most of our students will begin school using remote learning, but others will have in-person instruction. However, there will be fewer children in the classroom at one time, mandatory mask wearing & social distancing.
A number of private schools are starting back with in-person instruction as well. Our college campuses will have students but they’ll be using more buildings and less in-person instruction because of the pandemic.
The opening of schools and colleges is an important one – education must go on, even in a pandemic. In-person learning has benefits. But it means challenges for our state, especially as our higher education campuses draw students from around the country and the world.
With the opening of schools, people will move around more and so will the virus. Other states that lifted restrictions quickly have had to go backward as their hospital capacity ran dangerously low and their cases jumped higher. We won’t make that mistake in North Carolina.
In keeping with our dimmer switch approach with schools opening, and in order to push for decreasing numbers which will keep people healthier and boost our economy, North Carolina will remain paused in Safer At Home Phase 2 for 5 weeks.
Experts believe our mandatory mask order stabilized our numbers. And just last week, we added a curfew on alcohol sales to keep restaurants from turning into bars, which are high-transmission areas.
Our success at returning thousands of students, teachers, and staff safely to classrooms this month depends on us doing what works. Most North Carolinians are doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 – wearing a mask, waiting six feet apart and washing hands often.
These simple strategies are more important than ever. It’s time to double down on them. The more people who do this, the better our health and economy will be.
As I saw the hurricane and tornado aftermath today – families reeling and entire communities still in shock – I also saw that familiar glimmer of hope that shines every time North Carolinians face a challenge.
One mom told me that she and her daughter were violently thrown from their mobile home but were unhurt. Amid losing most of what she had, she was thanking God for her life and the life of her daughter. That’s amazing.
Whether it’s a storm or a pandemic, that kind of hope and our shared commitment to a stronger future will keep us going. Hold on to that hope. Keep wearing your masks. And know that these difficult times won’t last forever, but our strength and resilience will.
