Finally.

Effective as of 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, Guilford County’s COVID-19-induced state of emergency is over.

On March 13, 2020, Guilford County government declared a countywide emergency due to fears of COVID-19. That two-and-a-half-year hiatus in normal county operations due to that declaration is now in the history books. The declaration allowed county government to suspend laws, require special precautions of citizens and apply for aid from the state and federal governments.

In a press release sent out on August 15, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston stated that the county will terminate its local emergency at 5 p.m. The recension of the county’s local government order will coincide with the termination of the State of North Carolina’s pandemic state of emergency declared by Gov. Roy Cooper in early 2020.

Cooper declared a state of emergency in March 2020 when the first cases of the coronavirus began showing up in North Carolina.

Guilford County Emergency Management Director Steven Grose stated that COVID-19 spread is still a concern despite the end of the state of emergency.

“We recognize that COVID-19 is still an emergent issue, with the transmission on the rise,” he said. “While the local state of emergency is being allowed to expire in conjunction with the Governor’s, we want to share with the community that there are resources and processes in place to meet the immediate needs.”

Recently, Guilford County Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann told the Guilford County Board of Commissioners – which also doubles as the county’s Board of Health – that the number of people in the county receiving vaccines is essentially holding steady.

She noted that Guilford County’s COVID-19 vaccine programs are still up and running for anyone who wants a shot.

“We will continue to monitor locally and recommend reactivation if appropriate,” the county’s health director added.