RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a new set of mask requirements Monday, calling them the state's "best weapon" against a "dire" spread of COVID-19.
He said the state now has 20 counties considered "red" under the state's coronavirus alert system — double what it was when the color-coded alerts were introduced last week. Alamance and Guilford counties have been added among the red counties.
"We are in danger," Cooper said.
He extended North Carolina's Phase 3 executive order to Dec. 11, one week after it was set to expire.
In his weekly pandemic briefing, Cooper said his new executive order will mean wearing a mask at home when friends are over as well as at work, the gym, stores and schools.
The order will also add to businesses' responsibility to ensure customers wear masks inside stores, keep 6 feet apart and follow occupancy limits, Cooper said. It can be enforced by local law enforcement and health departments.
Cooper said the order puts more responsibility on retailers for enforcing mask mandates in their stores.
"Very simply, you need to be wearing a mask when you are around anyone not in your household," said Dr. Mandy Cohen, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
Cooper's briefing came shortly after the state Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,601 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina, a new record.
DHHS also listed 2,419 new cases of coronavirus Monday, bringing the state's total to 339,194. On Saturday, the state surpassed 5,000 deaths, with almost 1,000 of those reported in the past month.
Cohen said hospitals are starting to feel the strain.
"We are on very shaky ground," Cohen said. "I do not want to see the bottom fall out."
Cooper said the state is not pushing for curfews or lower capacities despite the surging numbers, believing that the pandemic can be stemmed if people follow the existing rules.
The state still has hospital capacity and space available if it runs low, he said, and the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests is not too much higher than the level state health officials want.
"Things are not on fire yet," the governor said.
Last week, DHHS unveiled a new alert system that shows different color-coded levels of yellow, orange and red to represent COVID-19 hotspots by county. The levels include different suggestions for how the counties can curb the spread of COVID-19.
There are now 42 counties that are considered orange. Last week, there were 43. The remaining are yellow.
There are no changes in Triangle counties. Johnston County remains the only one in the Triangle area to be in the orange zone. All other Triangle counties are yellow.
Color codes are determined by: case rate, which is the number of new cases in 14 days per 100,000 people;% positive, which is the% of COVID-19 tests that are positive over 14 days; and hospital impact, which is based on the number of hospitalizations, how many staffed hospital beds are open, critical staff shortages and COVID-19-related visits to emergency departments over 14 days.
With Thanksgiving on Thursday, the state is under Phase 3 of reopening and restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people unless they are part of the same household.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has strongly advised that people do not travel for the holiday. North Carolina does not have travel restrictions.
Cooper and Cohen also have been urging people to celebrate Thanksgiving with safety precautions, including small groups, eating outside, social distancing of at least 6 feet with people outside your household, washing hands frequently and wearing a mask.
