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.)