Who needs to mask up, and where, under Durham’s new COVID mandate?
With Durham’s new mask mandate set to begin Monday evening, here’s a look at where you’ll need to wear a face covering in and around the Bull City.
What you need to know:
- Face coverings must be worn in any indoor public place, business or establishment.
- Exemptions are in place for those with medical and behavioral conditions or disabilities, including those that cause difficulties breathing or putting on a mask without assistance.
- Children under 5 years old do not need to wear face coverings.
- Children are also exempt if their parent or guardian has been unable to safely place a mask on their face.
- People working at home or in their own vehicles do not need to wear masks.
- Masks can be temporarily removed when actively eating or drinking, or for identification purposes in government or medical services.
- Exemptions are also provided for those having conversations with people who are hearing-impaired and require that the mouth be visible.
- Those giving speeches or performances who are at least 20 feet away from the audience (or 10 feet away, if vaccinated).
- There are some workplace safety and vehicle or equipment operation exemptions as well.
State of emergency in Durham
The mandate comes after Durham county and city officials declared a new state of emergency on Saturday, as the COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread throughout the state.
In Durham County, where 61% of the population is at least partially vaccinated against the virus and 57% are fully vaccinated, there have been 849 new cases over the past 14 days. Since the pandemic began last year, there have been 241 deaths in the county.
The mandate begins at 5 p.m. Monday. For more information, see the full declaration here.
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 12:59 PM.