By Gabrielle Barone

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners met as the Board of Health and decided to reinstate the mask mandate across the county as COVID-19 numbers rose due to the new Omicron variant.

Masks are required to be worn in public spaces, including businesses and other establishments. This decision has been made for all residents to follow, despite vaccination status.

As of Nov. 15, 2021, the mask mandate was removed because of the decrease in COVID-19 positive cases. The emergence of the Omicron variant was reported to the World Health Organization in late November.

Due to the rise of Omicron cases in North Carolina, they made this decision.

Guilford County residents are required to follow this new rule until further notice. Residents are torn between the effectiveness of masks.

“I think the infection is just going to keep spreading regardless of masks,” said Zachary Cabon, a nutritionist at the Guilford County Department of Public Health.

Many Guilford County residents have mixed opinions on the county’s decision to use masks as a way to stop the virus from spreading.

“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” said Kristine Smith, a Guilford County resident and nurse. “I’d rather wear my mask than get COVID-19 and risk being in the hospital. I will be wearing my mask because I have little ones at home and I want to protect my family and my babies.”

Although Omicron has been discovered to be less deadly than the Delta variant, residents are still taking precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones.

The Guilford County Health Facility asks that people stay vigilant and up to date on the best practices regarding COVID-19 safety.

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For additional information on COVID-19 safety updates, please visit the Guilford County website.

Gabrielle Barone is a senior majoring in Journalism. For contact inquiries, please email gbarone@highpoint.edu.