CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end Monday, more than two years after the onset of the pandemic. While most people likely won’t notice a difference in their daily lives, the COVID-19 state of emergency has helped the state get through the pandemic over the last two-and-a-half years.
Some measures that protected people during the pandemic will finally come to an end. And when most people think of a state of emergency, things like masks, vaccines and social distancing may come to mind. But North Carolina’s order did so much more than that. Let’s connect the dots.
Back in March 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency over a new virus that was slowly spreading across the U.S. and Carolinas. The order provided some consumer protections, banning price gouging during the pandemic. It also allowed truck drivers to work longer hours to help deliver critical medical supplies to the front lines. Health care systems also benefited from the order with greater staff flexibility.