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RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Coronavirus Task Force is expected to offer an update on the pandemic at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

The news conference comes just days after Cooper announced that restrictions would be eased allowing many businesses to increase capacity, some to a full 100%.

Cooper says that he will sign Executive Order 204 which will go into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Museums, aquariums, retail businesses, shops, barbershops, salons and personal care facilities will be allowed to reopen at 100% capacity.

Restaurants, breweries, wineries, amusement parks, gyms and pools can reopen at 75% capacity indoors and 100% capacity outdoors.

Conference centers, bars, sports arenas and other live performance venues are allowed to up up to 50% capacity.

Overall, the mass gathering limit will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors.

Also beginning Friday, Cooper is lifting the restriction on late-night sale of alcohol for on-site consumption.

While many businesses will be allowed to welcome back more customers, the mask mandate will stay in place and Cooper still urges the public to stay socially distant and use good judgment.