North Carolina's Outdoor Mask Mandate Set To End: Here's When

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina's outdoor mask mandate will be lifted Friday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday. The repeal of the statewide mask mandate only goes so far, however. Masks will continue to be required while in indoor public spaces.

"We are grateful that North Carolina continues to hold steady when it comes to our COVID-19 metrics. But while our numbers remain stable, we are not seeing the decline in metrics we would like to see," Cooper said during a news conference.

The news comes one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said adults who are fully vaccinated can safely gather outdoors in small groups without masks, and those who are unvaccinated may do so safely when not in crowds.

The new statewide executive order will be signed Wednesday and go into effect Friday, Cooper said.

"Masks will no longer be mandated outdoors," he said. "Mass gathering limits will increase to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors," and the mask mandate remains in place in indoor public spaces, he added.

SEE ALSO: NC's Gov. Cooper Eyes Lifting COVID-19 Mandates By June 1

If the state can get two-thirds of adults vaccinated, North Carolina's indoor mask mandate would also be lifted, he said.

Current vaccination rates, however, show the state has some work to do in order to meet that goal.

As of April 28, nearly 49 percent of the adults 18 years old and older were partially vaccinated, while 39 percent were fully vaccinated, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Last week, Cooper said that the state was on track to lift all capacity and mass gathering restrictions by June 1.

"The critical piece of our success is getting vaccinated," he said Wednesday.

North Carolina reported 1,765 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, and at least 12,619 coronavirus deaths.

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