RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina will stay under Phase 2 coronavirus restrictions for another five weeks, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday.

Under Phase 2 restrictions, bars, nightclubs, gyms, theaters, and music venues remain closed. The restrictions had been set to expire Friday.

More than 2,000 people in North Carolina have died from COVID-19 and at least 129,000 people have tested positive for the virus as of Wednesday, according to state public health officials.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the DHHS, said she is seeing "subtle signs of progress" as the state works to put the brakes on the spread of the virus.

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She said that many school districts, colleges, and universities are getting ready to open for some sort of in-person instruction, which could lead to new hotspots in the state.

"The opening of schools and colleges is an important one – education must go on, even in a pandemic," the governor said. "In-person learning has benefits. But it means challenges for our state, especially as our higher education campuses draw students from around the country and the world."

"With the opening of schools, people will move around more and so will the virus," he said.

Cooper said he's watched as other states reopened too fast only to have cases spike and have to close down again. "We won't make that mistake in North Carolina," Cooper said.

With universities reopening for some in-person instruction, including UNC system schools, "people will move around more and so will the virus," the governor said.

North Carolina moved into Phase 2 restrictions on May 22, allowing restaurants to reopen at 50 percent capacity and reopened pools, day camps, and child care with restrictions. But the number of coronavirus cases in the state remains stubbornly high.

More than 1,100 people in North Carolina are hospitalized for the virus as of Wednesday, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"We are starting to stabilize, but the rate of those cases is still high," Cohen said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. But, she said, "We are seeing the first signs that hospitalizations may be leveling off."

Cooper previously extended the Phase 2 order on July 14, with an expiration date of August 7. That expiration date has now been moved to September 11.