In a press conference Monday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper stated, “What we are doing is working. We are saving lives. Our biggest enemy is complacency. The better we can be at staying home through April, the more likely we are able to ease restrictions. We are all looking toward a time when we can loosen these restrictions, and it will come…We are considering the most effective ways to modify executive orders to help boost the economy while continuing to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.”

On Thursday afternoon, Governor Roy Cooper announced a new Executive Order with three main parts. The first focuses on the number of people inside at one time and marking six feet of distance at places where people need to gather. The second part of this order includes mandatory protective measures for nursing homes that had previously been recommended as guidance. The third part makes it easier for employers to file a batch of claims on behalf of their employees.

In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Governor Cooper stated, “Overnight, test results revealed a hotspot of transmission in Orange County. A series of tests for COVID-19 has revealed at least 60 positive results in a skilled nursing facility in Orange County with more likely to come. Of those, seven are hospitalized and two have died. These are shockingly large numbers, and I wanted to share information about what the state is doing to control and combat outbreaks at long-term care facilities to protect the residents and staff.”