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RALEIGH – Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen announced today (Wednesday) that North Carolina’s Modified Stay At Home Order, requiring people to be at home from 10 pm – 5 am, will be extended through the end of next month.

Face covering requirements and restrictions on individuals gathering in both indoor and outdoor settings are also still in place through at least 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 28.

Meanwhile, allowing for the sale of “to-go” or delivery of mixed beverages will continue to help businesses that are struggling right now.

The order also extends the evictions moratorium that helps families have the ability to stay in their homes, a critical component of slowing the spread of the virus.

The Executive Orders for “to-go” or delivery sales of mixed beverages and the evictions moratorium both received concurrence from the Council of State.

“With more than 3,300 people in the hospital, and the percent of positive tests in double digits, we know this virus is still spreading,” said Cooper. “And with at least one new contagious variant of COVID-19 in our state, we still have work to do. We cannot let our guard down, especially in these cold winter months.”

In addition to the Modified Stay at Home Order, the DHHS secretarial directive remains in effect. People should stay home and only leave for essential purposes such as buying food, accessing health care, and going to school or work.

“Remember people can have COVID-19 and not know it,” said Dr. Cohen. “The best way to protect those around you is to act as if you do have the virus and could be contagious. That means always wearing a mask – over your mouth and nose, always waiting apart from others, and always washing your hands frequently.”

North Carolina continues to administer Covid-19 vaccines across the state. As of Wednesday, 99.8% of all first doses received by the state were reported as being administered and 859,695 total doses have been administered.

Vaccine supply continues to be very low and the state is hopeful for more vaccine to be on the way. On a call with Governor Cooper and other governors on Tuesday, the Biden Administration committed to increase vaccine shipments to the states by 16% over the next three weeks.

On Tuesday, NCDHHS expanded its vaccine data dashboard to provide information about vaccine doses allocated to and received by the state and updated guidance to ensure equitable distribution and speed of administration.

North Carolinians can find out when they will be eligible to get their vaccine through a new online tool, Find My Vaccine Group. The screener walks users through a series of questions to determine which vaccine group they fall in. Learn more about North Carolina’s vaccine rollout at YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov.

On January 23, NCDHHS reported the first identified case of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 Variant in North Carolina. Early data suggest that this variant may be more contagious than other variants and state health officials continue to recommend staying at home when possible and practicing the 3 “W’s.”