Bowling Shut Down Again In North Carolina

Updated: 5:02 PM EDT Jul 14, 2020

North Carolina’s highest court has temporarily blocked a judge’s ruling that allowed dozens of North Carolina’s bowling alleys to reopen, according to NBC affiliate WRAL.

The judge had overturned a portion of Gov. Roy Cooper’s pandemic-related executive order, but the state Supreme Court stayed that ruling pending an appeal, forcing the businesses to close down again.

Last week, a judge ruled that a dozen North Carolina bowling alleys could reopen despite Gov. Roy Cooper’s order that keeps them closed.

The judge ruled that The Bowling Proprietors Association of the Carolinas & Georgia could reopen immediately with strict social distancing and cleaning guidelines.

Cooper’s spokesperson, Ford Porter, shared the following statement in response to a court ruling today on opening bowling alleys during COVID-19:

“Hospitalizations and positive cases are reaching record highs while the governor works to get schools open and prevent the state from going backward on restrictions,” Porter said. “The governor will immediately appeal this ruling that harms both of these efforts.”

The organization sued Cooper last month, claiming that his pandemic-related restrictions unfairly kept bowling alleys closed while allowing other businesses to reopen and operate under strict social distancing and cleaning guidelines.

Special Superior Court Judge James Gale agreed, ruling that Cooper “has no reasonable basis to continue to treat bowling alleys differently than businesses sharing common risks which he has allowed to reopen during Phase 2.”