Governor Roy Cooper:

“As of this morning, North Carolina has 297 cases of confirmed COVID-19 in 45 counties across our state. We continue to test, and we continue to see cases increasing. Even though we did not get the testing supplies from the federal government we needed, we found more ways to get people tested. And as of this morning, that number is at least 8,438 completed and more than 10 thousand test are pending.

“I’m joined here by education leaders, and I’ll start with an update on where we are with schools. During the Great Depression, North Carolina’s leaders made sure that, because education was vital to our state’s future, all of our public schools stayed open in spite of tremendous funding challenges.

“Therefore, today I will sign an executive order that closes public K-12 schools across North Carolina for in-person instruction until May 15. I know many parents have been expecting something like this. Many of you have become home school teachers in the last week, and I know this is extremely difficult for you and your children.

“This is what we need to do to help slow the spread of this virus, but I am committed to ensuring our students get the best education they can this year. I have asked the State Board of Education in collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction and legislators to develop a plan that strives to educate our students through the remainder of the school year.

“That includes providing our students with as much remote learning as possible and a real connection to our schools even while the buildings are closed. We must maximize the time left in the year as much as possible. I have asked that the plan lay out how we are going to make sure that all school employees are able to continue to safely work and to get paid during this time.

“We arrived at May 15 by looking at the CDC and public health guidance, but as you know this is a rapidly evolving health crisis and if the guidance changes, we will adjust the order. I’d also like to take a moment to thank our teachers and other public school employees, including our child nutrition staff and our bus drivers.

“As of yesterday, more than 1,100 schools have served more than 1.2 million meals since schools closed. Our schools are getting creative about how to best do remote learning. To that end, I convened a conference call of internet service providers urging more help to get internet access to students who need it as quickly as possible.

“And our school employees are still out there taking care of our communities in many other ways, especially our most vulnerable children. You went above and beyond before this virus came, you’re doing it now, and you’ll continue to do it when we come out on the other side of this.

“The executive order I am signing takes other steps to slow the spread. It lowers the threshold to ban mass gatherings of more than 50 people. Along these lines, this order closes gyms, movie theatres, sweepstakes parlors, health clubs, and other similar facilities. We want you to close as soon as possible, and the order takes effect Wednesday. Because of their inability to conduct social distancing, this order also closes hair and nail salons, barbershops, and massage therapists as of 5 PM Wednesday.

“As with the other facilities, we encourage you to close even before that date if you can. Grocery stores will remain open, as will restaurants providing takeout and delivery. I ask again, please do not overbuy at the grocery store. I have had most all the grocery store officials on the phone and they continue to tell me that supply lines are open. They are also hiring former restaurant employees. And I appreciate the people who are continuing to grow and supply our food.

“Throughout this crisis, we have taken early, aggressive action to flatten the curve and prevent a spike in cases that would overwhelm our medical system and jeopardize the health of those who are ill. We have declared a state of emergency. We have closed all K-12 public schools until May 15. We have banned large gatherings and closed certain businesses to comply with that.

“We’ve closed restaurants and bars for dine-in service. We’ve closed businesses where it’s hard to practice social distancing. We’ve urged people to maintain social distancing and to stay and work from home as much as possible. And we want to strongly urge those who are in the high-risk category to stay home as much as possible.

“I know these actions cause hardship and heartache for a lot of people. But they are necessary to save lives. We are tracking our level of resources, both supplies and human resources. And right now, we need both. We are recruiting volunteers and companies to supplement our health care workforce. We’ve already had 300 people reach out to us, and we need more.

“This includes clinical providers such as doctors and nurses, clinical support such as pharmacy and imaging and respiratory care, and facility maintenance and administrative support. If you fit into one of these categories, go to http://ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus to learn more about how you can help.

“As we are seeing around the country, critical supplies and equipment are also running low. Masks, gloves, and gowns. Our state is pursuing all available channels to buy more of these supplies. But we need more help. We are also asking volunteers to provide medical supplies if they are able, including personal protective equipment like masks, gowns, gloves and other gear. A number of people and companies are stepping up to do this, and I thank them.

“I have convened calls with North Carolina’s top manufacturers to discuss, among other things, how they can potentially switch their production lines to start making these critical supplies. I know many of them are already working on this, and I appreciate that spirit.

“For generations, North Carolina has been a leader in textiles and manufacturing. Now is the time for us to harness that innovation and leadership and step up. I appreciate everyone on the front lines of this pandemic – health care workers, child care workers, custodians, restaurant crews, state employees, law enforcement, corrections officers, grocery store workers – and too many others to list.

“Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen more than ever how connected every part of our society and economy are. As these dominoes have fallen, so have our spirits at times. But I have seen truly amazing examples of people caring for each other. Neighbors, friends, pastors, family, and even complete strangers.

“Even though we’re keeping our physical distance, our connections to one another are more meaningful than ever. Stay strong in those connections, or reach out for help if you are having a hard time. North Carolinians know how to help each other.”

(this is developing, please check back for more information)