North Carolina’s governor has ordered people across the state to wear masks or other face coverings in public to fight the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order Wednesday that people must wear face coverings in public when it’s not possible to maintain physical distance.
The order also mandates masks or other face coverings for employees of businesses including retailers and restaurants, as well as state employees in the executive branch.
Violations of Cooper’s executive orders are punishable by a misdemeanor.
The order comes as the state reports its second-highest one-day jump in virus cases at around 1,700. Around 900 people are currently hospitalized.
Feature photo of a Lowes Foods customer wearing a face mask captured by Sandhills Sentinel Photographer John Patota.
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