The Guilford County Board of Commissioners voted to rescind the mask mandate that had been in effect since mid-August to combat the COVID-19 delta variant. A similar move is expected in Forsyth County soon.
The unanimous vote came as little surprise. COVID-19 trends across the state have been on the decline following the initial delta surge. Over the past 21 days, Guilford County's positivity rate dropped to an average of just under 5%, a critical benchmark to begin relaxing pandemic-related restrictions, as well as falling case counts. Forsyth County is matching those same metrics, and after recent meetings with leading health officials, infectious disease expert Dr. Christopher Ohl says he expects similar action around Thanksgiving time. But he cautions that going maskless may not be for everyone.
“If you're unvaccinated or have health problems or are immunocompromised, just keep masking,” says Ohl. “There's nothing wrong with it. Don't feel ashamed, and you don't have to feel peer pressure. Just keep doing it. The other thing is that we're going into respiratory virus season and we're already having cases of flu and the mask will help.”
In Guilford County, all residents are still strongly encouraged to follow North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommendations for reducing the spread of COVID-19, including vaccinations for those five years and older.