Guilford County issued the following announcement on Jan. 4.
During 3:00PM Press Conference, Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ Chairman, Melvin ‘Skip’ Alston announced that he was issuing an Executive Proclamation under the Standing State of Emergency and reinstituting the COVID-19 Indoor Masking Mandate effective 12:01 AM Wednesday, January 5, 2022 for Guilford County residents and businesses due to the severity of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Omicron Variant currently affecting North Carolina and the sharp increase in the positivity rate in Guilford County.
This Executive Proclamation re-instates the mandatory indoor mask mandate for all persons throughout Guilford County, regardless of their vaccination status. This decision was based on a meeting held Monday, January 3, 2022 where Chairman Alston, Vice-Chair Carlvena Foster, and At-Large Commissioner Kay Cashion met virtually with mayors of the local municipalities, which make up Guilford County to receive an update from local healthcare system providers, County Public Health professionals and Emergency Services Leadership detailing the sharp increase in the county’s positivity rate as well as its critical impact on resources needed to sustain essential services.
County residents and businesses are encouraged to follow all directives and recommendations set forth by the Guilford County Board of Health, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the Guilford County Department of Public Health to slow the spread of the virus and help reduce the county’s rapidly rising rates of infection.
The Proclamation under the state of emergency serves as a stop gap to address the urgent surge in cases. This Proclamation applies to Unincorporated areas of Guilford County and those cities where the Mayors signed on to the order to implement emergency mitigation efforts until the County’s Board of Health can meet on January 13th to consider a more comprehensive rule.
“This Executive Proclamation is necessary to safeguard our citizens, visitors to our county, our local business community as well as protect our local public health partners and County Emergency Management resources,” stated Guilford County Board of Commissioners Chairman, Melvin ‘Skip’ Alston. “We have listened to our healthcare professionals and Emergency Management county staff when they tell us our public health resources are reaching critical capacity. As elected officials, our responsibility is to ensure the sustainment of essential services. We are obligated to help mitigate the dangers facing our healthcare system and the best way we can do this right now is by masking.”
Chairman Alston sent correspondence to each municipal mayor in Guilford County formally requesting their cooperation and asking them to sign on to the Executive Proclamation. He added, “While no one can clearly predict how this situation will continue to evolve, I am confident about our emergency preparedness plans, staff and community stakeholders are doing their best to protect our citizens. It is always the right time to do the right thing.
Regardless of your vaccination status, we know that wearing masks helps prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus and we know it saves lives."
Original source can be found here.
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