RALEIGH, N.C. — With COVID-19 cases rising across the state and nation, Raleigh is keeping its mask mandate in place for now, according to Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
After previously stating she was
considering relaxing mask restrictions for gyms and small businesses, Baldwin is erring on the side of caution with the mandate. On Friday, Baldwin said in light of national trends and rising case counts locally, she will not be relaxing the current mask rules.
Some of the post-Thanksgiving impact on cases has already been noticeable in the state's figures. New numbers that came out Thursday
showed 4,165 COVID cases in North Carolina, the most in a single day since Oct. 9. Also concerning is the number of hospitalizations, which eclipsed 1,600 for the first time since Oct. 22.
In Raleigh, masks have been a requirement inside supermarkets, retail shops and other indoor gathering places since mid-August, when the delta variant led to a spike in infections and hospitalizations. Earlier, Baldwin insisted that officials would keep the mandate in place until Wake County became a "moderate transmission" area, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wake is still considered a "high" transmission rate along with most counties in North Carolina.
“We are going to continue to monitor the situation,” Baldwin said. “I want to continue to stress to people to get vaccinated, get their eligible kids vaccinated and before they go somewhere to get tested. You don’t want to be that superspreader.”
Baldwin released a statement on Friday afternoon, describing what led to the decision.
After reviewing local data and national trends, I have decided that now is not the right time to relax the mask mandate.
In an effort to help provide help for those who are struggling with mental and physical health as a result of the pandemic, I asked staff to evaluate the possibility of removing the mask mandate for gymnasiums and small businesses. We started this discussion when COVID-19 positive cases and hospitalizations were declining, and data was trending in the right direction.
The COVID spike after the Thanksgiving holiday, combined with concerns over the omicron variant, require that we must remain cautious. We expect an additional spike after residents participate in Christmas and New Year’s celebrations – a trend we have witnessed after every holiday since the pandemic began.
The best way to stop the spread of this deadly virus is to get vaccinated. Please make sure to get your vaccine and booster shots and that your eligible children are vaccinated as well. Additionally, please get a COVID test before attending holiday gatherings. We must continue to take this pandemic seriously.
We will continue to work closely with our local health experts and monitor the data on a weekly basis. I am committed to ensuring public health and safety but am also mindful that we need to get our businesses -- small and large -- back to normal as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we work together to keep our families and friends safe.
Three weeks ago, when the spread of cases didn't appear as dire,
discussion to loosen the rules began. Baldwin said she was worried about others' wellbeing and had heard from those who weren't comfortable working out at the gym in a mask.
Elsewhere in Wake County, Garner, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, and Zebulon, as well as the county's unincorporated areas, have indoor mask mandates in place. Durham and Orange counties have countywide mandates in place.
The
CDC's COVID tracker shows the seven-day metrics in Wake County with a case rate of 206 per 100,000 people as of Friday.
Three cases of the omicron variant
were recently discovered in Pitt County, giving four such confirmed cases of the variant in the state so far.
Duke health professional Dr. Thomas Denny believes
omicron's rise happening concurrently with the holiday season creates what he feels is 'a perfect storm' for cases to surge again, much like they did last winter.
