North Carolina Lifts all Major Covid-19 Restrictions

Effective May 14, 2021, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper lifted all mandatory capacity and gathering limits, social distancing requirements and most mandatory mask requirements.

This directive means that in most situations in North Carolina – both indoors and outdoors – masks are no longer required to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The following are the only places where masks remain mandatory:

• Airports
• Public Transportation
• Child Care Facilities
• Schools
• Prisons
• Specific Public Healthcare Settings

Cooper said people who are not fully vaccinated are strongly urged to wear face coverings indoors and around crowds.

Cooper's new executive order immediately ends mandatory limits on gathering sizes, along with capacity restrictions on businesses and organizations. The governor's executive order on May 14 followed the May 13 announcement by President Biden and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that lifted most national restrictions.

On May 13, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated: “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small – without wearing a mask or physically distancing.”

In Edenton, we encourage everyone – locals and visitors – to continue practicing safe hygiene by washing hands often for at least 20 seconds (or by using sanitizer), and avoiding public places if you have a fever or feel ill.

North Carolina's county alert system continues to track the coronavirus spread at the county level. To check the latest, please click here.

Town of Edenton website

Chowan County website