'We're Making Progress,' COVID-19 Stabilizing In NC: Gov. Cooper

NORTH CAROLINA — Law enforcement agencies across North Carolina and on college campuses are being directed to enforce the state's face covering order and limits on large gatherings, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said Thursday.

"While no one wants violations to end in arrests, it’s important for the health and safety of our communities that we all do our part," Cooper said at a news conference.

"We've already seen the numbers, the correlation in flattening things out and stabilizing and even seeing a beginning of a decline. We know that's related to face mask wearing and social distancing, so we want law enforcement to be more involved in this process," he added.

Enforcement would begin with attempts to educate businesses and people about the state's mask mandate, North Carolina Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks said. "We're not asking people to go out and arrest people," Hooks said. "We're asking that if you have to take enforcement action, there are mechanisms available to you, such as a citation."

North Carolina reported 1,763 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday, which increased the state's tally of coronavirus cases to 140,824, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The state's coronavirus death toll rose by 38 Thursday, upping the number of lives lost to COVID-19 in North Carolina to 2,287.

According to DHHS, 7 percent of the total COVID-19 tests administered in the state are positive, down from a rate of 10 percent positive reported July 13.

"We're making progress and I'm encouraged," Cooper said at the news conference.

Job Retention Grants
Small businesses and nonprofits affected by coronavirus in North Carolina are now eligible for a new round of financial relief, Cooper said. As of Thursday, the North Carolina Department of Commerce began accepting applications for the Job Retention Grant Program — a $15 million federally funded grant program to help businesses retain employees.

A webinar providing an overview of the Job Retention Grant program and how to apply for it is set to take place online Aug. 17. Information about how to register for the webinar may be found here. The deadline for applying for the grant is Sept. 1.

"Businesses are eligible for grants of up to $250,000 if they haven’t already gotten support from another program like the Paycheck Protection Program," Cooper said.

North Carolina schools, set to reopen across the state next week, will also soon have additional financial resources, Cooper said. "To help schools teach effectively and safely, I have directed $95 million in federal funds to help with more school nurses and counselors as well as educational support for students at risk of falling behind," he said.

SEE ALSO: How Coronavirus Affects North Carolina Kids: 5 Things To Know

Coronavirus trends are stabilizing, according to the state's top public health official.

The number of COVID-like syndromic cases in emergency rooms and the number of lab-confirmed cases, while still high, are both starting to decline, as are the percent of positive tests and hospitalizations, DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said Thursday.

"This progress is fragile," Cohen said. "As our colleges and universities bring students back to campus and our K-12 public schools kick off the school year, we will face a new test. More people will be in close contact and moving around in our communities and that means the potential for viral spread."

Globally, more than 20 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 751,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Thursday afternoon. In the United States, more than 5.2 million people have been infected and more than 166,000 people have died from COVID-19.

SEE ALSO:

• North Carolina High School Football Delayed Until February 2021
• Mecklenburg County Sees Decrease In COVID-19 Positivity Rate
  
• Most US Schools Going Virtual, Including Charlotte Area Schools