Thread by @NC_Governor

Updates from Gov. Cooper's COVID-19 briefing:

https://twitter.com/NC_Governor/status/1384929445484679170

As of today, we have had 952,529 cases; 1,963 new cases reported since yesterday; 1,168 people in the hospital; and, sadly, 12,480 people who have died. Our prayers continue to be with those who have lost friends and loved ones and those who are fighting COVID-19.

We continue to make progress turning the corner on the pandemic. Our COVID-19 trends remain relatively stable, although we've seen slight increases over the past couple of weeks. The fact that our numbers aren’t yet declining reminds us how important it is to stay vigilant.

North Carolina’s strong safety protocols and actions to slow the spread are why we’ve been able to avoid a surge in cases overwhelming our hospitals. Our careful, reasoned approach has worked, striking the right balance.

Numbers released from the CDC and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that North Carolina is among the states with the fewest deaths and fewest job losses per capita. We’ve put health and safety first, but we’ve worked with businesses and health professionals to get it right.

Now, I want us to look forward, and see where we can be as spring turns into summer. First, when it comes to vaccines, we want to make sure at least two-thirds of adults have at least one shot as quickly as possible.

With at least two-thirds of adults vaccinated, our public health experts believe we will have enough protection across our communities to be able to live more safely with this virus and begin to put this pandemic behind us.

We have an adequate supply of vaccines so we need everybody to step up. As we work on vaccinations, we need to keep our trends, such as cases and hospitalizations, stable. We need to keep being careful and responsible to keep those trends down and save lives. I believe we can.

With increasing vaccinations and ongoing work to slow the spread, I anticipate we'll be able to lift all mandatory social distancing, capacity & mass gathering restrictions by June 1. I plan to issue an Executive Order next week outlining safety restrictions for the month of May.

Being able to make progress is good for North Carolina. Here’s how we can keep doing it. We will continue to distribute vaccines in a way that is fast and fair, and we won’t let up.

As of today, almost half of adults have had at least one shot and more than a third are fully vaccinated. For our more vulnerable age 65 and older population, almost 77 percent have had at least one shot and more than 71 percent are fully vaccinated. That's great news.

But we must keep going strong. In a moment, @SecMandyCohen will talk about a campaign we’re rolling out to get more people vaccinated. Although we're making progress, we haven’t beaten COVID-19 yet. The virus will still be with us even after June 1.

We need to keep being responsible. We need to keep wearing masks. We need to get more people vaccinated. We need businesses to keep paying attention to current executive orders and future health recommendations.

With eligibility now open to all adults, and appointments easily available close to your home, we urge everyone ages 16 and older to make sure they take the time now to go and get a shot.

The vaccine is safe and effective and free for everyone. There are many same-day appointments and walk-ins allowed. They are easy and everywhere.

Vaccines are the key to moving us forward. To strengthening our economy. To making sure our children are on track for school now and in the fall. To hugging our loved ones safely. To saving lives.

Each shot in an arm is a step closer to putting this pandemic in the rearview mirror. North Carolinians have shown up for each other throughout this entire pandemic, and we need to keep up that commitment by getting our vaccines.

If you’ve already gotten your shot, help your neighbors, friends and loved ones to get vaccinated. If you have questions about where to get vaccinated, go to myspot.nc.gov to learn more.

In the meantime, we are continuing to monitor the data and the trends, both here and in other states. What we see there and across the world with the new variants is cause for concern. Let’s not become one of those states that is seeing a sharp increase.

We all know what we need to do to move beyond this. Wear our masks. Be responsible. Use good judgment. Get vaccinated. We are so close. Together we will get through this and come out stronger on the other side.