Thread by @NC_Governor

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

https://twitter.com/NC_Governor/status/1393256858371170307

To date, we've had 989,338 cases; 1,501 new cases reported since yesterday; 926 people in the hospital; and 12,862 people who've died. Our prayers are with those who've lost loved ones & those battling the virus. Fighting this disease & getting people vaccinated is a priority.

Effective immediately, we are lifting all mandatory capacity & gathering limits & social distancing requirements and most mandatory mask requirements. That means in most settings indoors or outdoors the state will no longer require you to wear a mask or be socially distant.

There will continue to be a mandatory indoor mask requirement on public transportation, in child care, in schools, in prisons and in certain public health settings. There will be strong recommendations by the @NCDHHS for people to wear masks indoors in certain public places.

There will also be strong recommendations from NCDHHS for unvaccinated people to wear masks. Certainly anyone who feels better protected or has received advice from a doctor should continue to wear a mask.

Throughout the pandemic, I've said we would listen to health experts & follow the science as we made decisions. We would listen to the CDC. Our focus would be on saving lives. We would use a dimmer-switch approach to easing restrictions. We're continuing to do all these things.

Because of our strong safety protocols, vaccines and the hard work of North Carolinians, we have been able to slow the spread of this virus and reduce deaths when other states saw surges in their cases. It’s good that our metrics are stable or declining.

Our health experts have guided us with their wisdom and expertise. This nation’s scientists — including many in NC — showed what is possible if we work toward a common goal. That common goal now, more than ever, is overcoming this pandemic through safe & effective vaccines.

Now is the time to get vaccinated if you haven’t. While today’s news means that we are even closer to putting this behind us, it doesn’t mean we’re there yet. The pandemic is still here, especially for those who are not vaccinated.

More than half of our adults are at least partially vaccinated here in North Carolina, and about 46 percent are fully vaccinated. That’s good, but it tells us there’s more to do.

I have a message for people who have not been vaccinated, and especially those who will choose not to wear a mask. Get vaccinated now. If you don’t listen to me, ask your doctor and do what your doctor tells you.

With more people not wearing masks going forward and COVID-19 and its more infectious variants spreading, there is a real risk that unvaccinated people can get it. Please be responsible and wear a mask until you get vaccinated.

Today is a great day. But the work is not yet done and people getting vaccinated will get it done. The CDC’s guidance affirms that getting vaccinated is the way through this. We can take this step today because the science shows our focus on getting people vaccinated is working.

But to keep moving forward – to make sure that we keep saving lives – more people need to get vaccinated. People 12 and up. People who were planning to get it but haven’t made time for their shot yet. People who aren’t sure, and even people who now think they don’t want to.

We need to reach all of them to turn the corner on this pandemic once and for all. North Carolinians have shown that we have resolve and the compassion to do what’s needed even when times get hard. If we keep doing that, we’ll get through this.