Pressure Mounts On NC Governor To Relax Coronavirus Restrictions

NORTH CAROLINA — As the number of novel coronavirus infections continues to grow in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper is now also facing growing pressure to end stay-at-home orders to help state industries, starting with NASCAR.

In a letter Monday, North Carolina Speaker of the House Tim Moore urged Gov. Cooper to modify current executive orders to allow the Charlotte Motor Speedway to hold NASCAR races without fans Memorial Day weekend in late May.

"NASCAR has affirmed its intention to return to racing in May, and the Coca-Cola 600 offers an excellent opportunity to host a historic event in our state while prioritizing health and public safety by holding the race without fans," Moore said. Holding the races in late May would benefit the state's motorsports industry and "mark a rebeginning for North Carolina's tourism, entertainment, and service industries that are desperate to open for business," he said.

SEE ALSO: Coronavirus: Hundreds Of Layoffs, Furloughs At NASCAR Tracks

As of Monday, there were at least 6,764 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, and 179 state residents had lost their lives due to coronavirus-related illness, according to state officials.

"To put that last number into context, North Carolina has had 167 flu deaths this past season," which began in September 2019, NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said Monday.

By contrast, the state confirmed its first COVID-19 case March 3, recording the first coronavirus death March 24.

"In less than a month, we've already surpassed flu deaths for this year," Cohen said. "COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in the United States."

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Anthony Fauci, who heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, cautioned Monday that unless COVID-19 is brought under control, rolling back restrictions could backfire economically. "If you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, you're going to set yourself back," he said on Good Morning America, WSOC reported.

Without an extension of social distancing policies set to expire at the end of the April, North Carolina hospitals face an increased likelihood that their ability to provide acute care needed for coronavirus patients will be outstripped, perhaps as soon as Memorial Day, a team of epidemiologists told state health officials recently.

SEE ALSO: NC Coronavirus: New Report Predicts Impact On State Hospitals

Last week, Cooper said decisions regarding any new social distancing executive orders for the state will be made at the end of April, and that his intention is to reopen the state's economy incrementally based on progress in COVID-19 testing, tracing, and seeing overall trends move in the right direction.

Cooper said restrictions would relax once the state's coronavirus trends start to go down. Officials are looking at a number of options, including possibly easing restrictions in certain regions of the state, he said.

"In our new normal, you may see more people wearing masks or having their temperature checked," Cooper said April 15. "A restaurant you go into may have tables that are only partially full. The only sporting events or concerts that you may be able to watch for awhile will have no in-person crowds."

Races without crowds in the stands is exactly what NASCAR is asking for, according to Speaker Moore.

Mecklenburg County, where NASCAR headquarters are based, has been hardest hit by COVID-19 in North Carolina. On Monday, the county reported 1,213 residents had tested positive, and 31 deaths, representing a mortality rate of 2.4 percent, according to Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris.

The number of confirmed cases remains conservative, officials acknowledge. Tests are prioritized for those exhibiting symptoms, or have been potentially exposed, Harris said. The county continues to experience limitations in testing supplies and personal protective gear for healthcare workers, — both issues that need to be overcome before the community reopens, she said.

It's too soon to tell what COVID-19 in the Charlotte metro data would mean for NASCAR races in late May, Harris said.

"I have no idea," she said. "We're continuing to watch the data closely and we'll see what happens as we move towards conversations around reopening different types of activities in our community and types of businesses. But, at this point, it's hard to hazard a guess a month out."

Also pulling on projections are the actions of neighbors, such as South Carolina reopening its beaches and retail stores beginning April 21.

"One of the issues that we're going to deal with across the country is anytime you open something up in one area and you don't have the same thing happening in others, there will be impact," Harris said. "South Carolina — we're right on the border — if they loosen things in those communities, we expect to see some effect on our county from that."

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