‘Dangerous and reckless.’ Cooper says NC weighing options to enforce ban on large crowds.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday his administration is “considering all options” to stop gatherings like the 4,000 people who attended an auto racing event at Ace Speedway in Alamance County on Saturday night.
“That is a dangerous situation that ought to concern all the local officials and all the citizens surrounding that venue,” Cooper said during a press briefing. “It is a completely reckless way to operate.”
He told reporters Tuesday during the news conference that ignoring the statewide order is “deeply concerning.”
Phase Two of North Carolina’s reopening plan started May 22. Restaurants were allowed to have dine-in service at 50% capacity along with other restrictions. Personal care businesses like hair salons and barbershops were also allowed to reopen, with restrictions. Wineries, breweries and distilleries also reopened; however, bars are still closed under Phase Two.
Though social gatherings under Cooper’s most recent statewide order are limited to 10 people inside and 25 people outside, Ace Speedway owners were given the go ahead from Alamance County officials, the N&O previously reported.
“It is dangerous and reckless to try and draw a crowd,” Cooper said. “I hope and pray that no one gets sick or even dies from that gathering that occurred this weekend. We hope that that doesn’t happen. But the way to prevent that kind of thing is not to do it. We are deeply concerned about that kind of activity.”
Cooper did not say what exact enforcement and penalties would come from the state.
“All of the options are on the table for us and we are examining those options now,” he said.
NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 raced without fans
Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, both referenced NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 race, which was televised nationally Sunday night from Charlotte Motor Speedway with no spectators in attendance, as an example of how to do an event correctly in the pandemic.
“They took precautions seriously and had a great event that was enjoyed by millions,” Cohen said. “Let’s all take the precautions that NASCAR did.”
Phase Two is scheduled to last until at least June 26. The state will only move into Phase Three, with even fewer restrictions, if the trends in the virus’ spread and severity show that move is prudent.
“When we all did this together it worked,” Cohen said. “We slowed the spread of the virus and put ourselves in a good position to begin easing restrictions. Our individual actions will continue to determine our path forward. Together these actions can both energize our economy and protect public health. Since we don’t have a cure and we don’t have a vaccine, we have to learn to live as safely as possible with the virus.”
Republican National Convention
In August, the Republican National Convention is scheduled to be held in Charlotte for a week. However, President Donald Trump, who is running for reelection, tweeted on Monday that he wanted a definitive answer on whether the state will allow the full number of attendees — which could be 50,000 — at the event. Vice President Mike Pence also said Monday that the convention could be moved to another state, the N&O previously reported.
On Tuesday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that he hopes Trump will consider the “Peach State” for the RNC. Kemp has lifted coronavirus restrictions faster than other states.
Cooper told reporters Tuesday that his administration is in discussions with the RNC about their plans for the convention, and are still in the process of receiving those plans.
“I supported having the convention in North Carolina, but we have to put the health and safety of North Carolinians as the guiding star in this process,” Cooper said. He said repeatedly that the event is still three months away.
“We want to see their plans, what their options are. We will review those. Our health officials will give feedback on them, and hope we can find some sort of reasonable accommodation,” Cooper said.
He said they won’t sacrifice the health and safety of North Carolinians.
As of Tuesday morning, the NC Department of Health and Human Services reported 24,140 coronavirus cases in 100 counties. In the state, 766 people have died and 621 were hospitalized.
“As we continue in Safer At Home Phase Two, we need to stay alert,” Cooper said. “Over the weekend we saw our highest one-day increase in positive cases and our highest day of hospitalizations yet. This virus remains a serious threat, and we cannot let our guard down.”
