Bars, movie theaters, amusement parks and other outdoor venues in North Carolina will be allowed to open for the first time since March, Gov. Roy Cooper announced during his press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

The venues will now be allowed to reopen at 30% capacity, or 100 attendees -- whichever is less -- under Phase 3 of Gov. Cooper's reopening plan for North Carolina, ABC 11 reports.

Bars will be limited to a statewide alcohol curfew of 11:00 p.m. until at least October 23. If a bar doesn't have a stated outdoor occupancy, it will be limited to no more than seven guests per every 1,000 square feet of the outdoor area of service, ABC 11 reports. Phase 3 will go into effect at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, in correlation with the expiration of the current Phase 2.5 plan.

"I believe that North Carolina can do this safely. But so I am clear, every gathering carries the risk of spreading this disease," Cooper said. "Being safe means being smart and making sure others around you are doing the same."

Additionally, Gov. Cooper confirmed once again that large outdoor event venues with a capacity of more than 10,000 attendees will be limited to 7% capacity. Under the limited capacity guidance, Carter-Finley Stadium can host an attendance of 4,031, Wallace Wade can host 2,800 and Kenan Memorial Stadium can host 3,570.

As of September 22, North Carolina had not seen a spike in COVID-19 cases, emergency room visits for coronavirus-like symptoms, or the percentage of positive tests since the moving into Phase 2.5 several weeks prior. The state has instead seen a drop in the percentage of positive tests, which is currently hovering between 5 and 6%, ABC 11 reports.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen has noted numerous times that the state's goal for percentage of positive tests is 5% in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but reiterated to ABC 11 during an exclusive interview last week that the percentage is a goal, not a destination.

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