GREENSBORO, N.C. — Phase 2.5 loosens restrictions and lets some businesses reopen, but what's not so clear is how many people can be in those places.
There are capacity rules and mass gathering limits and it's hard to figure out where many businesses fit in.
Restaurants and retail are limited to 50 percent capacity. Gyms are restricted to 30 percent. Meanwhile, the mass gathering limits are 25 people indoors, 50 people outdoors.
Some are confused as to whether these contradict each other.
Governor Cooper's executive order explains most reopened businesses do not have to follow mass gathering limits because they follow their own specific rules.
"Sometimes that has to do with the fire code capacity, sometimes that has to do with the number of people for the given space so it would depend on the particular physical layout," North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said.
Gyms are a big exception to this. They can operate at 30 percent capacity, but if the workout goes outdoors--there is a 50 person limit.
Aaron Church questioned the mass gathering limits on our WFMY News 2 Facebook page.
"It doesn't make sense to be able to have a certain percentage capacity indoors at your local store (anywhere from 30%-50%) but only 50 people outdoors at a place like a race track where you can easily social distance," Church said.
WFMY News 2 reached out to NC DHHS to explain this.
"Because the size and layout of settings like restaurants and retail establishments can vary a great deal, using percent of the establishment occupied makes the most sense in those cases. For places like large entertainment venues, mass gathering limits are used due to concern about people being stationary or gathering close to one another within a confined area," NC DHHS Press Assistant Catie Armstrong said in an email.
Phase 2.5 goes into effect Friday at 5 p.m.