Governor Roy Cooper, D-NC address the crowd during the Rally for Respect outside the North Carolina Legislative Building on May 16, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a stay-at-home order Friday and closed the state's nonessential businesses in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The order goes into effect 5:00 pm Monday, but Cooper urged residents to begin staying at home immediately.

"It's what we have to do to save lives," he said at a press briefing Friday.

Residents will still be able to leave for essential reasons, including to get food or medicine, according to Cooper. People will also be able to leave their homes for outdoor exercise or to help others.

North Carolina has 763 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and has had three deaths from the virus, according to data compiled by the state's Department of Health and Human Services.