Raleigh, N.C. — Wake County officials announced on Friday that they would be ending the county’s indoor mask requirement effective 5 p.m. on Feb. 25, and the Wake County Board of Education has a special meeting called for Feb. 22 to consider doing the same.
The local leaders acted quickly in response to Gov. Roy Cooper’s call for an end to indoor mask mandates across the state, in public schools and in local communities by March 7.
The state Department of Health and Human Services recommended on Thursday that low-risk settings, including public schools, make face coverings voluntary if COVID-19 trends continue downward.
Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville and Zebulon will also be removing their mask mandates on Feb. 25, according to county officials.
“What I really believe more than anything is that people should be empowered to do what they feel is best for them,” said Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. “If they feel that wearing a mask is what’s best for them, then please wear a mask.”
Baldwin added that loosening the COVID-19 restriction is about personal choice and freedom.
“We anticipate face coverings will become optional in our schools in the coming days,” a statement from WCPSS read. “The exact timing of the effective date has not yet been determined.”
The school system has required masks for students, teachers and staff since returning to in-person learning more than a year ago.
Wake school leaders: vaccination rates driving factor in decision on masks
Lindsay Mahaffey, chair of the Wake County Board of Education, told WRAL News that any decision will be based on increasing vaccination rates.
“Vaccinations remain the most effective tool against infections from COVID-19, and we encourage all students, staff and families to become fully vaccinated,” the email read. “Our high vaccination rate puts our district on solid footing once face coverings become optional. In the meantime, if your child is not feeling well, please have them stay home and get tested.”
State data shows that 77% of Wake County residents ages 5 and up have had either the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. That is more than 10% higher than the statewide average of 64% of those 5 and up with two doses or one dose of J&J.
Mahaffey recognized that some parents may choose to keep their children masked up in school. She said that “respecting and valuing the choices of others, and understanding the choices of others” would be important in the next couple of weeks.
Several districts have already voted to make masks optional, including Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Person, Sampson and Wayne.
Masks have been required in Wake County, but individual municipalities could set their own rules. The city of Raleigh requires masks indoors, for example, while Cary and Apex do not.
On Friday, North Carolina added 4,871 new coronavirus cases — which is a 35% decrease when compared to the number of cases added last Friday.
On Thursday, politicians on both sides of the aisle – the GOP-led House and the Democratic governor – appeared to be surrendering to growing mask fatigue and concerns about the mental health and learning loss associated with masks in schools in deferring to parents in the future.
“For some families, this is not coming fast enough,” Mahaffey said. “For other families, this is coming way too fast.”
COVID hospitalizations down across the Triangle
Hospitals across the Triangle are reporting a decrease in the number of patients with COVID-19, according to data obtained by WRAL News.
Among hospitals within the Duke Health system, hospitalizations among people who tested positive with COVID-19 has decreased by 50% this month. UNC Health and WakeMed are reporting similar decreases between this month and last month; COVID-related hospitalizations decreased by 65% and 61% respectively.
WRAL Data Trackers report that while coronavirus cases and hospitalizations were much higher during North Carolina’s omicron peak, the number of people who died with the virus was larger during the winter of 2021.
So far this month, nearly 700 people have died with COVID-19. During the same time period last year, nearly 1,000 people had died with the virus. Nearly double the number of North Carolinians died with COVID-19 during January 2021 compared to January of this year.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive remains at 10.3%. While that’s still higher than the state’s target goal of 5%, that’s much lower than what was reported in the days after the winter holidays.
Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough: mask mandate remains
Orange County officials announced on Friday that they would be keeping a mask mandate in place until further notice. Public officials in Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough also agreed to keep masking mandatory in all indoor spaces.
County leaders recognized that “key metrics in Orange County are dropping, including the number of cases and percent positivity for test results.” But to be safe, officials said they wanted to continue requiring masks for a couple more weeks.