Doctor: 2 weeks for North Carolina order to take slow cases

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s state epidemiologist says the new statewide stay-at-home order won’t show any conclusive effect on blunting the intensity of the new coronavirus for about two weeks.

New restrictions ordered by Gov. Roy Cooper covering business operations and prohibitions of gatherings of more than 10 people begin late Monday afternoon.

Several urban counties and some cities already began enforcing similar orders in their localities late last week.

The state now counts more than 1,300 positive COVID-19 cases and six deaths.

The positive cases include 25 in rural Northampton County, nearly all of which are linked to an adult care home there.