Some Local NC Governments Mandate Facemasks In Public

Some North Carolina municipalities are beginning to implement ordinances that require people to wear facemasks in public. It may come to the Triad as well.

The number of patients in the state hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached another new high this week: more than 850 as of Thursday. This comes as cases continue to spike in some areas and testing increases.

Some local governments are mandating the use of facemasks in their communities. Dr. Christopher Ohl with Wake Forest Baptist Health says it's likely we'll start to see similar ordinances in the Triad because they are effective.

“This is the ticket to getting our numbers back down again and for pushing our curves back down without having to do all of the pain that we did with lockdowns, shelter in place, or staying home. No one wants to go back to that,” says Ohl.

The city of Raleigh now requires people to wear facemasks and Buncombe County recently passed a similar policy for indoor public facilities.

Earlier this week, Governor Roy Cooper said he would also consider a statewide measure to slow the spread of the virus.

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