Keeping Maskman Dates in the Light of the Holiday Season COVID Surge Raleigh :: WRAL.com

Joe Fisher, WRAL Reporter

Raleigh, NC — According to Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin, Raleigh has maintained its mask mandate for now as the number of cases of COVID-19 is increasing state and across the country.

After saying earlier, she Consider relaxing mask restrictions For gyms and small businesses, Baldwin pays attention to his mission. On Friday, Baldwin said he would not relax the current mask rules in light of national trends and rising local cases.

Some of the impact on the post-Thanksgiving incident is already noticeable in state figures.New numbers on Thursday Shown 4,165 COVID cases in North CarolinaThe highest number of hospitalizations in a day since October 9 is also a concern, surpassing 1,600 for the first time since October 22.

In Raleigh, masks have become necessary in supermarkets, retail stores and other indoor meetinghouses since the delta virus led to a surge in infections and hospitalizations in mid-August. Earlier, Baldwin argued that authorities would maintain that mission until Wake County became a “moderately infected” area, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Like most counties in North Carolina, wakes are still considered “high” transmission rates.

“We will continue to monitor the situation,” Baldwin said. “I want people to be vaccinated, qualified children to be vaccinated, and to keep stressing before they go somewhere to be tested. You’re that super I don’t want to be a spreader. “

Baldwin issued a statement Friday afternoon explaining why the decision was made.

After reviewing local data and national trends, I decided that this was not the right time to mitigate Maskmandate.

To help people suffering from physical and mental health as a result of a pandemic, I asked staff to assess the possibility of getting rid of gymnasiums and small business mask mandates. We started this discussion when COVID-19-positive cases and hospitalizations were reduced and the data were heading in the right direction.

The surge in COVID after Thanksgiving holidays, coupled with concerns about Omicron variants, needs attention. It is expected to surge further after the inhabitants participate in Christmas and New Year celebrations. This is the trend we have witnessed after every holiday since the pandemic began.

The best way to prevent the spread of this deadly virus is to vaccinate it. Be sure to get the vaccine and booster shots and vaccinate your child. In addition, take the COVID test before attending a holiday gathering. We must continue to take this pandemic seriously.

We will continue to work closely with local health professionals to monitor data weekly. I promise to ensure public health and safety, but I also keep in mind that our business (large and small) needs to be restored to normal as soon as possible.

We ask for your continued understanding and cooperation in order to protect the safety of your family and friends.

Three weeks ago, when the spread of the incident did not appear as disastrous Discussions have begun to loosen the rules.. Baldwin said he had heard from people who were worried about the health of others and were not good at exercising with masks in the gym.

Elsewhere in Wake County, Garner, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Zebulon, and the county’s unincorporated areas are obliged to use indoor masks. Durham and Orange County have county-wide obligations.

The CDC COVID Tracker Shows a 7-day metric for Wake County with a case rate of 206 per 100,000 as of Friday.

Three cases of Omicron variant Recently discovered Pitt County shows four cases of such confirmed variants in the state so far.

Dr. Thomas Denny, a Duke Health expert, believes Simultaneous rise in Omicron The holiday season, like last winter, gives him what he feels is a “perfect storm” with a surge of cases again.