Guilford County government is likely to follow the lead of the City of Greensboro and other local governments across the state in implementing fines for bars, restaurants and other businesses for not enforcing mask-wearing rules or for failure to follow other COVID-19 compliance rules.
The move is due to the ongoing pandemic and the new numbers that are alarming county health officials.
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston said that Guilford County Attorney Mark Payne and Guilford County Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann are working on a set of guidelines for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners to consider.
Throughout the pandemic, the Republican-run Board of Commissioners has been reluctant to do things like implement fines or shutdown the community – however, due to the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election, the board will be run by Democrats starting on Monday, Dec. 7, and Alston is a virtual certainty to be chairman.
Alston said this week that the alarming COVID-19 numbers Guilford County and North Carolina are seeing right now warrant serious action to thwart the spread of the disease.
According to Alston, the guidelines will be refined by county leaders and other members of a local task force formed to battle the disease. However, he added that the focus should be on fining businesses rather than individuals.
“These will be similar to those from the City of Greensboro,” Alston said of the rules and fines citizens can expect.
He added the fines will likely be for things like not requiring masks and for being over pandemic capacity levels.
It could be mid-December before any fines are implemented since the first county commissioners’ meeting – on Monday, Dec. 7 – is almost all procedural, with new business rarely conducted.
In other words, The Peoples Republic of Greensboro is about to become The Peoples Republic of Guilford Country.
I guess next they will be teaching kids the straight arm salute in school.
Amen !
We need another Govt bureau here. The Dept of Covid Fines. Or, the CovidPolice. Rest assured, they are on the way.
And you think OSHA was ugly.
Punish businesses. Marx said they’re no good anyway.
Who cares if businesses get shut down? Who cares if people lose their jobs?
There should be someone at the door of every business ready to get attacked by someone when they ask clients to wear masks. Don’t ask the police for help. That’s racial injustice. The proletarians deserve to beat the workers who enrich the bourgeoisie by selling them their labor.
Sad, scary stuff going on…
These were the people the “majority” voted into office, and vote for over and over. Those who didn’t vote for them are the ones who must continue to educate, voice their opinions, advocate Constitutional freedom, and hope there is someone with the money and a lawyer to take their fine to the Supreme Court.
The amount of ignorance in these comments is scary. We are in the middle of a damn pandemic without any sign of an end and you ignorant people are moaning about something so simple as putting a face mask on. If you can’t do that then STAY AT HOME. And if you’re SO concerned about businesses shutting down, then wear the damn mask.
I’m glad to see that there is someone on here who is smarter than everyone else and is authorized to tell the rest of us what we must do and can’t do. Maybe you haven’t heard of freedom, or maybe you have heard of it but don’t believe in it for anyone except yourself.
The Board of Commissioners were always run by Republicans until the 11/3/2020 Election. And now the Board is run by Democrats?
Audit The Legal Votes NC!!!
There is NO Way Gov Cooper won his seat back. I have a pic from the TV on election night before I went to bed that Forest in the lead by Double Digits!
What were the Numbers?
No Mask Mandate!!!!!
These were the people the “majority” voted into office, and vote for over and over. Those who didn’t vote for them are the ones who must continue to educate, voice their opinions, advocate Constitutional freedom, and hope there is someone with the money and a lawyer to take their fine to the Supreme Court.
Will the sheriff participate in this sham? How about the rhino times focus on debunking that masks work to deter a virus that is microns smaller than any mask the public is wearing. All this tyranny to save lives, according to the local government when in fact these unlawful and unconstitutional mandates are KILLING people by keeping them from breathing fresh air (masks muzzle people and prevent one from speaking their mind), isolating them socially, keeping people from making a living to provide for themselves and their families, bankrupting the economy, and on, and on. The health department calls this “saving lives” and “for the public good”? How is any of this harm for the public good? By the way, these masks are actually causing more harm because they are filthy and people develop staph infections on the lips and nose, and because people don’t wear a new one every time, you can actually harbor infectious viruses like corona viruses. Stand up for your rights! Mask mandate is NOT law. Did the legislature pass a law requiring masks? If so, put it out for the public to see; otherwise, people need to resist this communist take over of America!
Effing moron tyrants all them. Between Governor Pooper GSO, Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Guilford Co. Skip Alston there’s not enough brain power between those three Demwits to move a Ouija Board
I have to disagree. All these people are smart. How about coming up with some facts? Mud-slinging don’t fly.
”Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans! No more merciful beheadings! And cancel Christmas!”
A joint statement released by Duke Roy Cooper of the Duchy of North Carolina, Earl Skip Alston of the Earldom of Guilford County, and Baroness Nancy Vaughn of the Barony of Greensboro