Town Council members in Boone voted this week to lift a state of emergency that put COVID restrictions in place. The move means the town will end its mask mandate starting next month.
The decision comes amid declining case numbers and an appeal by Gov. Roy Cooper for schools and cities across the state to lift their masking requirements.
Watauga County Schools leaders recently changed their policy, going mask optional on Monday.
Rob Hudspeth is a senior vice president for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
He says the number of COVID-related hospitalizations in the region has dropped by more than half since the start of February.
Still, he says there are challenges that remain in the fight against the virus, including healthcare staffing shortages.
“We've had a lot of folks retire or change career direction or just leave healthcare altogether,” he says. “So that's our biggest concern right now. How do we keep our workforce engaged?”
The lifting of Boone's mask mandate goes into effect on March 7.