Shakespeare’s famous question was, “To be or not to be?” However, the question that will be on the table next Tuesday evening, Nov. 2, at a special meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners is whether the county should continue to enforce its current mask mandate for everyone indoors in public places – and, if so, for how long.
Guilford County Chairman of the Board of Commissioner Skip Alston said on Thursday, Oct. 28, that he was calling the meeting to get advice from local medical professionals regarding the question of if and when the county should abandon a mask mandate that the Board of Commissioners voted into being in August.
Guilford County Commissioner Justin Conrad has been leading a charge to get rid of the mask mandate based on current improving COVID-19 numbers, but Alston said at a commissioners’ meeting last week that he was prepared for the mandate to run until “May or June” of 2022 if that’s what it takes to keep county residents safe.
Alston said that he’ll base his decision on the advice from medical professionals such as the county’s health director and the leadership of Cone Health.
As the chairman of the majority party, Alston holds the most power of anyone on the board. However, ultimately the question will be determined by a majority vote of the nine-member board.
The special mask mandate meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m. for the official stated purpose of “consulting with our medical providers regarding Guilford County COVID-19 epidemiological data and to transact any other necessary business.”
The meeting will be open for viewing by the public through Zoom only. Anyone with a computer, smartphone or tablet can watch by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82269446393/ (If required, enter meeting ID 822 6944 6393 at the prompt.)
Still hiding on Zoom will last indefinitely. How long until commissioners are up for reelection?
I respectfully bring the Commissioners’ attention to the Danish and Bangladeshi studies of mask efficacy. They demonstrated that the cloth/paper masks commonly worn are completely worthless.
Since Austin is not one for giving the full picture.
The Danish study found that face masks did not have a large protective effect for wearers — not that masks provide no protection at all or don’t offer benefits to others. Even the authors of the study say the results shouldn’t be interpreted to mean masks shouldn’t be worn. Their study was only designed to detect a large effect of 50% or more. This is a great example of how misinformation is spread. Thanks for yet another example of misinformation Austin. Or is this another example of Austin being a sheep and just repeating talking points he hears from his Sheppards?
FYI, I support dropping the mask mandate given the current positive rate of tests in Greensboro is below 5%. Holding out for 70% plus vaccination rate is silly and NOT a part of CDC guidelines.
Chris the Blowhard is spreading misinformation! If I were on the Left I would demand he immediately be banned for his crime. But I’m on the Right, and I believe idiots should enjoy free speech just like the rest of us. This sad person has developed a fixation on me, and feels it necessary to contest every comment I make here. He clearly has psychological issues.
In the meantime….
The DANMASK-19 study involved 6024 participants in Copenhagen (where they brew the excellent Carlsberg beer by the way – available at Bestway!) and was scientifically conducted. At the end of the study, among the masked group the rate of infection was 18 per 1000. Among the unmasked it was 21 per 1000. The authors of the study concluded that this was statistically insignificant, and that cloth/paper masks provided no degree of protection.
So who is twisting the facts here?
And I hope you manage to let go of your fixation with me, Chris. Although it’s fun to know that I’m living in your head 24/7 – rent free!
Ha, ha, ha, ha…!
You are. Reread what I wrote. They were testing only for a significant statistical impact of 50 percent or greater which didn’t occur. You are not very good at math I suppose.
That’s strange, I got a grade A in O-Level maths, no problem. My younger son is also good at math (as it’s called here), getting a degree in it from Carolina after being awarded a “free ride” scholarship to read it there.
And your comment is unintelligible. Your command of English is pathetic. Do try harder.
Exactly! Or the CDC’s own 2017 report! SHEEPLE – Useful idiots who will ultimately pay the price themselves. Lenon (not John) knew this and took advantage of it to crush his own people.
Clearly what is going on here is a compliance problem with inadequate staff to enforce the mask mandate. Maybe what is needed is a large number of volunteers out in the county to confront the maskless and to fine businesses. We could call it Skip’s Army.
The only compliance problem is the number of sheep who so readily trust the government, comply with worthless mask mandates, and offer themselves up for medical experimentation.
Actually, by NOT taking the vaccine, you HAVE participated in the experiment. You are the control group. Which has not fared as well as the vaccinated group when it comes to hospitalization a mind death rates.
You are the sheep spreading conservative talking points with no real awareness of truth, data, or common sense. But you be you.
Chris the Blowhard toes the Leftist line and regurgitates it at every opportunity – and calls us sheep! He is a perfect example of illusory superiority and the Dunning-Kruger syndrome.
Again, when presented with a rationale argument all Austin can do is call names and have a temper tantrum.
Of course they would hide behind zoom and not make this a meeting open to public comment. I hope some more of the Democrats can prove me wrong and listen to reason like the rest of the country. Not that it matters I have yet to wear a mask and don’t ever plan on it.
Let’s Go Brandon.
Do not look for this to end on Tuesday. Skip will double down and move the goalposts. However, this is hopefully the beginning of a long process to get rid of the mandate. There had been no pushback at all until Justin Conrad spoke out last week..
If Guilford County continues this mandate then I will continue shopping in Forsyth County where there is No mandate! They need to let their power hungry egos go and let people live again.
Spend more on gas
Cuz ya don’t likes masks
Little bit of cloth
Makes you take a loss
How silly to be you
Oh! Now he’s a poet !
Hilarious!
What a perfect tosser is this guy?
My understanding is that the county is collecting used and unused masks to help the community. Toss them on the lawn at 301 W. Market St, theres an alternate location located on W. Vandalia for convenience.