The marquee sign at the Smokey Ques BBQ in Marion, North Carolina: Glynn Wilson

By Glynn Wilson –

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, N.C. — As people all over America prepare to celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer on Memorial Day weekend, the federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning members of the military who died while serving in the armed forces to fight for democracy and freedom, a number of states are beginning to reopen some types of businesses that have been closed down for nearly three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In North Carolina, Friday marked the start of a Phase Two partial reopening plan announced by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, which is expected to last at least 5 weeks in a state with a total population of roughly 10.5 million.

“Just because you can go out somewhere, doesn’t mean you should,” Cooper said while making the announcement.

As of Thursday morning, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported 716 deaths from the coronavirus, an increase of 14 in the 24-hour reporting period, according to the Charlotte News-Observer. There have been 20,860 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state and 702 deaths.

Nationally the number has topped 1.5 million, with more than 94,000 deaths, nearly twice the number who died in the Vietnam War, for example.

Increased testing is being credited with more lab-confirmed cases here, but the percentage of positive tests has hovered at about 7 percent, acceptable enough to allow state health workers to approve relaxing restrictions. The total number of cases and deaths will be under closer scrutiny as the state eases coronavirus restrictions under Phase Two, which began Friday at 5 p.m. Some restaurants, swimming pools, hair salons and barbershops were allowed to reopen, but there could be a spike in cases that causes state health officials concern.

Men line up for haircuts at the City Barber Shop in Morgantown, North Carolina on the first day of a Phase Two reopening. Some said they had not had a haircut in nearly three months: Glynn Wilson

At City Barbershop in Morgantown, in Burke County where there have been 266 cases and 14 deaths reported, many in nursing homes, men were so anxious to get out of the house and get a haircut that they lined up in chairs outside, signed an appointment book and took turns getting an $11 trim.

“I haven’t had a haircut in three months,” one man said, the first in line when I snapped this photo while picking up carryout food from an Asian restaurant across the way. None of the customers were wearing gloves or masks, and the chairs were not six feet apart.

Traffic seem to be picking up some on Friday in Marion as people made runs to the grocery store to get food for the long weekend. But traffic on the interstate was still way down from what it normally would be this time of year. Big trucks were few and far between on Friday afternoon late. Memorial Day weekend is usually one of the busiest weekends for travel around the country. But if signs here are any indication, Americans are not quite ready to venture out and travel by way of “getting back to normal” or going back to “business as usual.”

Public opinion experts say it will take some time for public confidence to return.

The numbers of travelers using the airports here have dropped 96 percent because of the pandemic. When people start flying again, they’ll find sneeze guards at ticketing counters, new boarding procedures and new hand-sanitizing stations at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, according to the local newspaper.

“We want to make sure we have all those things in place so when the customer comes back, they see something different and they feel confident they can fly and they can travel,” RDU president Michael Landguth said, where the airport is recommending, but not requiring, passengers to wear masks.

The modified “Safer at Home” Phase Two reopening here comes at a time when novel coronavirus cases have been rising sharply over the past two weeks in counties such as Wayne, Duplin, Forsyth and Guilford. Cases doubled in Forsyth and Duplin, with many of the increases coming because of outbreaks in prisons and meat-packing plants in those counties.

At the Tyson chicken processing plant in Wilkesboro, 570 employees and contractors tested positive out of 2,244 from the plant who were tested. A majority didn’t have symptoms and wouldn’t have known they were infected if they hadn’t been tested, the company said. The plant had shut down for five days for cleaning as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak, but reopened.

“The executive order does not require North Carolinans to wear face coverings outside the home,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services. “However, it is strongly, strongly recommended. Remember, people can have COVID-19 and not have any symptoms. Face coverings protect your loved ones and your neighbors.”

Restaurants, salons, and barbershops in the state capital region of Raleigh-Durham did not open Friday as part of Phase Two. Durham is North Carolina’s sixth most populous county, but is third in confirmed coronavirus cases. Durham has its own, more strict order, and those businesses won’t be able to reopen until June 1. Restaurants had been able to offer take-out and delivery under the stay-at-home order that expired Friday.

On the first day of a Phase Two reopening in Marion, North Carolina, the Smokey Ques BBQ set up tables outside with a new slogan, “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome”: Glynn Wilson

Indoor gatherings will still be limited to ten people while outdoor gatherings can have up to 25. Religious organizations are exempt from gathering limitations but encouraged to practice social distancing. President Trump on Friday made a show of demanding that churches be allowed to reopen, signing an executive order that can’t be enforced calling on churches to be made “essential businesses.”

In North Carolina, Cooper encouraged the continuation of teleworking whenever possible.

“This next phase can help us boost our economy and that’s great, but we can only boost our economy when people have confidence that they’re safe,” Cooper said.

“Overall the trends have been stable,” Cohen said. “But the data also shows us that we need to be cautious, and stay vigilante, to continue to slow the spread of the virus.”

Flags around the country are flying at half staff this Memorial Day weekend in honor of those who have died from the coronavirus. This is the McDowell County Courthouse in Marion, North Carolina: Glynn Wilson

Even Big Foot is seen wearing a mask in Marion North Carolina, home of the annual Big Foot Festival: Glynn Wilson

Memorial Day Concert

Nationally, the annual Memorial Day Concert on the The Mall in Washington, D.C. in front of the U.S. Capitol building hosted by PBS is scheduled to go forward and will air at 8 p.m. Sunday, although it will be a virtual event with no audience.

The National Memorial Day Concert has become the nation’s premier tribute to men and women in uniform, their families at home, and all those who have given their lives for our country. The concert, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2019, features uplifting musical performances, documentary footage and dramatic readings that honor the real-life stories of service members, veterans and their families from across the services, spanning the broad history of the nation’s military conflicts.

One of PBS’ highest-rated programs, the concert welcomes acclaimed stars from the worlds of stage, screen and music, including Joe Mantegna, Gary Sinise, Mary McCormack, Laurence Fishburne, Katie Holmes, George Clooney, Forest Whitaker, Allison Janney, Ed Harris, Jimmy Smits, Richard Dreyfuss, Kathy Bates, Dianne Wiest, The Beach Boys, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, B.B. King, Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, Vanessa Williams, Brad Paisley, Jennifer Nettles, Alison Krauss, Katherine Jenkins, and the virtuosic National Symphony Orchestro.

The National Memorial Day Concert

National Park Service

A park volunteer straightens flags in Andersonville National Cemetery: NPS

Meanwhile the National Park Service is planning a number of virtual opportunities for Americans to explore and learn about our country’s military history and reflect on the sacrifices made by the men and women of the armed forces on Memorial Day weekend.

While some parks will host in-person commemorative programs, the NPS will also host a Virtual Memorial Day Tribute saluting America’s fallen soldiers, with participation from 30 parks across 12 states and the District of Columbia. The virtual event is being coordinated by Vicksburg National Military Park and will be available on Facebook May 25. Beginning at 8 a.m. EDT and spanning more than 13 hours, the commemorative event will feature a series of livestreams, demonstrations, and historic talks about the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War and beyond, as well as a video of park rangers from Maryland to Montana reciting the Gettysburg Address.

“The National Park Service has many memorials and monuments dedicated to honoring military service and sacrifice throughout our nation’s history,” said NPS Deputy Director David Vela. “Our staff, partners, and volunteers are hard at work for the American people, continuing to provide engaging virtual opportunities and basic in-park services, while we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

This holiday weekend, as parks continue to become more accessible to the public, the park service is asking visitors to recreate responsibly by following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local orders to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Visitors should make a plan by researching park conditions in advance, stay close to home, recreate with people in their household and maintain social distance from others, postpone challenging hikes and activities, and bring home everything they brought with them.

“These simple steps will help keep you, others, and park resources safe,” the park service says.

At this time, more than 280 of the 419 units of the NPS have outdoor areas available. Some facilities and services may be limited, however. As operations are changing on a park-by-park basis, it is recommended that visitors check with individual parks for specific details about their operations, including campgrounds.

Visit NPS.gov for more information about Memorial Day events, military-themed stories of people and places in the National Park System and trip-planning information for military parks.

National Park Service Ranger Blake McGready on a walking tour of the Valley Forge encampment: Glynn Wilson

A view of the McClean House with a National Park Service volunteer where Lee’s surrender to Grant actually took place: Glynn Wilson