Cooper Extends State Modified Stay-At-Home Order; Eviction Moratorium and To-Go Alcohol Sales To Continue Through March

CHARLOTTE, NC – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper extending the state’s modified stay-at-home order on Wednesday, despite key metrics moving in the right direction. 

“Too many people are still falling seriously ill and dying. The virus is still raging through our communities,” said Gov. Cooper during a news conference. 

The words of caution come as COVID case counts, hospitalizations, and percent of positives tests decline following peaks earlier this month. 

“If people follow the safety protocols it reduces their chances of getting sick and infecting others,” said Coooper. 

Included in the order is the alcohol curfew. Drinks can’t be served past 9 p.m. and most businesses must close by 10 p.m.. The mask mandate remains in effect. 

“It’s just a slow process and that is tough to see sometimes when you’re looking at your checking account,” said Brian Wilson, the co-owner of Tipsy Burro and the Thirsty Beaver Saloon was disappointed to hear that the alcohol curfew will be extended. 

“We’ve just been trying to deal with that. It has hurt our business by probably about 25%,” said WIlson.

He says he understands the reasoning for extending the restrictions. His restaurant and bars have shifted to increase alcohol to-go sales, which can now continue until the end of March. 

“Any little thing can help at this point,” said Wilson.

Governor Cooper also extended the eviction moratorium through March 31st. 

“Without that extra time, it’s likely that some people would be out of luck,” said Juan Hernandez, an attorney with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. 

He says the moratorium creates enforcement uniformity across the state. 

It also allows time for local municipalities to process payments and allocate them to those in need.

“We see thousands of cases that are currently pending in Mecklenburg County and it’s a matter of time until the cases start rolling again,” explained Hernandez.