Mecklenburg revises start of mask mandate, as more towns now order masks indoors

More Mecklenburg County residents are now required to wear face masks in indoor public settings, accelerating a new wave of local COVID-19 restrictions prompted by the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

A mask mandate took effect immediately in Davidson on Thursday evening, following a unanimous vote from the Davidson Board of Commissioners, the town announced.

The news comes even as a pending countywide mask mandate was postponed by three days, due to legal notice requirements, Mecklenburg officials said Friday morning. That mandate now starts Aug. 31.

In Matthews, a mask mandate took effect at 5 p.m. Friday, following a vote from the Matthews Board of Commissioners, town spokeswoman Maureen Keith said.

The decisions come amid deteriorating COVID-19 trends in and around Charlotte, with the delta variant leading to skyrocketing infection and hospitalization rates.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had advised that people, regardless of vaccination status, should resume wearing masks indoors in areas experiencing high COVID-19 transmission. That applies to all of North Carolina, according to the CDC’s COVID data tracker.

During a special meeting on Wednesday, Mecklenburg County commissioners voted 6-2 on imposing a “public health rule” ordering face coverings be worn in indoor public places — regardless of people’s vaccination status.

Mecklenburg’s public health rule was supposed to take effect on Aug. 28. But the revised date is Aug. 31 in order to provide residents with at least 10 days’ notice, county spokeswoman Tammy Thompson said Friday morning.

New mask mandates

In the interim, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles’ signed a citywide mask mandate, which started Wednesday afternoon and spans the rest of the month. With the support of Mecklenburg County Commissioners’ Chairman George Dunlap, that temporary measure applied to unincorporated parts of the county too.

The mask mandate soon gained traction in Matthews and Davidson. But four Mecklenburg towns still do not have active mask rules, until later this month when the countywide order begins.

Davidson’s and Matthews’ mask mandates will remain in effect until they are superseded by Mecklenburg County’s rule, town officials said. There are a string of exemptions, including for children under 5 and for people with medical or behavioral concerns.

No documentation for exemptions is required, but all residents are asked to tell the truth and wear a mask if they are healthy in order to protect the community.

“We see no reason to delay implementing measures that Mecklenburg County Public Health feel are necessary to best protect the entire county,” Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox said in a statement.

In Matthews, Mayor John Higdon said immediate action was needed to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“One of the most important things we can do now is wear a mask to protect ourselves and the people around us — particularly the most vulnerable among us and children under the age of 12 who are not eligible to receive the vaccine,” Higdon said in a statement. “Vaccinations remain critically important in fighting this virus, and I encourage everyone to get the vaccine.”

Only 51% of Mecklenburg County residents are fully vaccinated, according to state public health data.

Virtual meetings

Davidson officials said Board of Commissioners and advisory board meetings will be held virtually due to coronavirus trends. Meetings can be viewed on the town’s website and YouTube channel. Residents can participate virtually in public forum.

Board meetings in Matthews are also virtual until further notice.

In uptown Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center closed to the public on Thursday due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Residents will no longer be able to attend meetings in person, including for the Charlotte City Council, Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board, city spokesman Cory Burkarth said.

But people can still participate in virtual public forums, Burkarth said. All meetings will be live-streamed on social media and on the Government Channel.

This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 10:14 AM.