The City of Greensboro is jumping back on the mask bandwagon.

On Thursday, Aug. 5, the city is reinstating its mask mandate in city facilities.

According to the press release, “If the positivity rate continues to rise, the City will consider implementing additional safety measures.”

The new guidelines will require face coverings for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals entering all city facilities.

Evidently, to prepare people for the new mask mandate at the City Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 2, most of the City Council wore masks some of the time.  Councilmembers Michelle Kennedy and Nancy Hoffmann were the only two who didn’t wear masks at all during the meeting.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan started out with a mask, but since Vaughan has to do a lot of speaking during the meeting and it is extremely difficult to be understood while wearing a mask and speaking into a microphone, she took her mask off frequently.  Vaughan would put her mask on for a minute or two while someone was speaking and then take it off to speak herself.

Councilmember Sharon Hightower, who talks more at meetings than anyone other than the mayor, attempted to speak with her mask on, but was asked to remove her mask so she could be understood.

Councilmembers Tammi Thurm, Marikay Abzuaiter, Goldie Wells and Justin Outling only took their masks off when speaking, eating or drinking.  Councilmember Yvonne Johnson was absent.  Interim City Manager Chris Wilson and City Attorney Chuck Watts did not wear masks.

Most of the speakers at the public forum wore masks to the podium and then took them off to speak.  One speaker did not and several councilmembers had puzzled looks on their faces as he spoke for three minutes about something.

According to the press release the reason Greensboro is requiring masks is “based on the latest CDC recommendation.”  However, the members of the City Council ignored the CDC guidelines on how to wear a mask.

The CDC guidelines state, “Do NOT touch the mask when wearing it.”

It also states that when removing a mask, “Be careful not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth when removing and wash hands immediately after removing.”

No one on the City Council was observed washing their hands as they touched their masks to remove them and put them back on.