RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday a statewide curfew on the sale of alcohol at restaurants.
The executive order prohibits restaurants from selling alcoholic drinks after 11 p.m. It goes in effect Friday, July 31.
Bars will also remain closed. Cooper said the state has not reopened bars for the reason that data in other states show that bars and other public places gather close together are high-transmission settings for COVID-19. He said state officials "want to prevent restaurants from turning into bars after hours."
Cooper added that state officials are hopeful that this new rule will help drive down cases, particularly among young people.
North Carolina's executive order comes just hours after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced new restrictions for Hampton Roads and the Peninsula.
This is a developing story.
