Masks returning to Wake County, but not all towns. Here is where Raleigh and others stand
Amid a resurgence in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, several Wake County towns and cities have ordered or are considering mask mandates for all indoor public spaces.
On Wednesday, Wake County and five of its municipalities became the latest to require masks for people regardless of their vaccination status. It joins Raleigh, Cary, Durham County and Orange County in requiring masks.
Here is a roundup of where each community in Wake County stands on mask requirements as of Aug. 18. The Wake County order is effective until Nov. 1, unless it is rescinded sooner.
Wake County
Matt Calabria, the chairman of the county board of commissioners, will sign a mask mandate on Aug. 18 that applies to all of Wake County’s unincorporated areas plus the towns of Garner, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville and Zebulon, the county announced.
Municipal leaders of all those towns have decided to sign onto Wake’s mandate, the county said.
The mandate will require people, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces. It goes into effect on Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m.
Apex
Mayor Gilbert Jacques told The News & Observer on Aug. 13 he isn’t planning a mask mandate and will “continue to follow the governor’s office.” He also said he doesn’t plan to join Wake County’s mandate in the future.
A mandate requiring masks to be worn in all town facilities that went into effect on Aug. 2 remains in place, according to the Apex website.
Cary
Cary will require masks indoors for people over age 5 any time they will be in contact with others outside of their household. The order takes effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, the town announced Monday afternoon.
“This new phase of the pandemic has brought some old challenges roaring back, but our experience in 2020 taught us an important lesson: Masks work,” Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said in a news release Monday. “Because Cary citizens decided to protect each other by masking up last year, we were able to keep our hospitals from being overwhelmed. With the delta variant spreading quickly, we need that community spirit now more than ever.”
A mandate requiring masks to be worn in all town facilities that went into effect Aug. 2 remains in place, he said.
Fuquay-Varina
The town isn’t ordering a mask mandate at this time, said Mayor John Byrne.
“While the Town of Fuquay-Varina is not putting a mask mandate in place at this time, we are encouraging individuals to wear masks when groups of people not from the same household gather indoors,” he said on the town’s Facebook page. “We support businesses requiring a mask to be worn within their facility just as the Town of Fuquay-Varina has done at our facilities.”
In a phone interview with The News & Observer, he said he’s “not trying to sign-up” with Wake County but that could change depending on the spread of COVID-19.
Garner
The town will join Wake County’s mandate, which requires people, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces, the county announced on Wednesday. The mandate will go into effect Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m.
Holly Springs
The town is not requiring masks in businesses, restaurants and other indoor spaces, the town said Aug. 18. But the town supports recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wear them.
The town is requiring masks to be worn indoors in town facilities.
“While we are not putting a general townwide mask mandate in place at this time, we are encouraging individuals to wear masks in public indoor settings where individuals cannot effectively social distance to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and we support local businesses that choose to require masks,” the town said in a statement.
Knightdale
Knightdale will join with Wake County in requiring masks in all indoor settings, Town Manager Bill Summers said in a statement released Aug. 14.
“Renewing the mask mandate is not a decision that our elected officials take lightly but feel is reasonable and prudent at this time,” Summers wrote. “The continued patience and support from our residents is greatly appreciated as we combat this pandemic together.”
Morrisville
Mayor TJ Cawley confirmed in a text message to The News & Observer on Wednesday that he had authorized Morrisville to join Wake County’s mask mandate. Cawley said the decision was made with the “full support” of the town council.
The mandate will go into effect Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m., according to a town news release.
Raleigh
The city enacted an indoor mask mandate that went into effect at 5 p.m. Aug. 13.
“The data demonstrated that the virus is spreading rapidly and hospitalizations are up,” Mayor Mary-Anne Baldwin said in an interview with The News & Observer. “This is a necessary step to keep people safe and support our small business community. The last thing we want is another shutdown. We made the decision that we felt was best for our city at this time.”
Rolesville
The town will join Wake County’s mandate, which requires people, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces, the county announced on Wednesday. The mandate will go into effect Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m.
Wake Forest
The town isn’t reinstating a mask mandate, according to a statement from Mayor Vivian Jones.
“Our decision not to issue a mask mandate at this time should not be interpreted as a refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of our current situation,” she said. “Rather, we are choosing to rely on our citizens to do their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated, practicing the three W’s and staying home when sick.”
Wendell
The town is not joining Wake County’s mandate.
Zebulon
The town will join Wake County’s mandate, which requires people, regardless of their vaccination status, to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces, the county announced on Wednesday. The mandate will go into effect Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 a.m.
This story was originally published August 14, 2021 at 12:41 PM.
