Gov. Cooper’s phase two extended five weeks, business owners react

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — On Wednesday, Governor Roy Cooper announced Phase Two of the state’s reopening plan, set to expire Friday, would be extended five weeks.

This means bars, gyms, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues are ordered to remain closed.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen says that while the number of COVID-19 cases in our state is stabilizing, numbers remain high. Cooper says moving into phase three now could cause a spike in cases, potentially moving us back into phase one.

“Other states that lifted restrictions quickly have had to go backward as their hospital capacity ran dangerously low and their cases jumped higher. We will not make that mistake in North Carolina,” the governor said. “In order to push for decreasing numbers, which will keep people healthier and boost our economy, North Carolina will remain paused in Safer At Home Phase two for five weeks.”

Gov. Cooper urged North Carolinians to keep their hopes up, and follow health and safety protocols.

“Hold onto that hope,” Cooper said. “Keep wearing your mask, and know that these difficult times won’t last forever.”

However some business owners, forced to shut down since March, say they’re all out of hope.

“Governor Cooper makes me question if there is really equality in what we do,” said Misha Sobol, co-owner of Slainte Irish Pub in downtown Wilmington.

Sobol believes it is unfair that restaurants and breweries are allowed to serve alcohol, while bars must remain closed.

“When you see one side is allowed to be open and the other side is not allowed to be open, is there inequality? Is there discrimination? I believe so,” he said. “And after five months, it’s sad that I have to go on the news and express my opinion.”

When questioned about the discrimination of bars compared to breweries, Gov. Cooper defended the policy.

“There is a difference in that these products were made on site,” Cooper said. “And in addition, the small number of those craft breweries and wineries presented a strong plan of public safety.”

Sobol says bars were not given the opportunity to come up with a plan. On top of that, he says he recently got a $2,000 bill in the mail to renew his ABC permit by the same government that shut his business down.

“All the bar owners and business owners get a slap in the face when we get a bill to renew our liquor license while I cannot be ope,” Sobol said. “It’s like I bought a car, you know I make payments, and then they tell me I cannot drive my car but I still have to pay payments.”

Sobol says he has a response to the governor’s message of hope.

“There’s no hope, there is a dead end. There is no light in the tunnel,” he said. “At least show me the light at the end of the tunnel, and I’ll believe in it.”

The North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association also provided WWAY with a statement reacting to the governor’s announcement. It reads:

Yet again, Gov. Roy Cooper has announced that while 85 percent of North Carolina’s 7,000 bars could remain open in the pandemic, 1,063 of them must remain closed–even though the closed bars have consistently vowed to follow the same safety rules.

And yet again the N.C. Bar and Tavern Association says this policy is discriminatory and unfair. 

 At Cooper’s press conference, a reporter said he had stopped by a brewery and the atmosphere there was the same as the atmosphere would be in one of the closed bars. He asked Cooper what is the difference between drinking in a brewery, winery, restaurant or hotel bar — which are open–versus an establishment licensed as a private bar or tavern–which are closed.  The governor replied that breweries are different because drinks are made on-site, rather than being trucked in, and that breweries presented a “strong plan of public safety to the Department of Health and Human Services.”

“From day one, the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association has asked to be subject to the exact same plan of public safety as the opened bars,” said Zack Medford, president of the group, which represents the private bars. “And what difference could it possibly make where the beer is made? The policy does not make sense and is discriminatory. Bar owners are going bankrupt with no aid and for an unfair policy.”

Cooper was also asked if he was planning to help the hospitality industry during the pandemic. His response failed to address the bars closed for five months with no hope of opening soon and instead addressed the opened establishments:  “Obviously we have allowed hotels to continue to be open, and restaurants to be open at reduced capacity… and I think a number of those have seen a comeback during this period of time.” 

Said Medford: “We are begging the governor to either offer help to the bars he is forcing to stay closed or to allow them to operate under the exact same conditions that he’s allowing every other type of bar to operate. It is time for the Governor to stop villainizing the North Carolinian-owned bars he never allowed to reopen, and start finding ways to help us survive. We are losing our livelihood, our homes, our families’ futures.”