In the well-known song “Hokey Pokey,” you put your left foot in and then you take your left foot out.

However, in the ongoing narrative of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners – which could be called the “Mask Mandate Shuffle “– you put your COVID-19 protective mask on and then you take your mask off.

And then you put it on again.

On Monday, Jan. 24, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners – exercising its authority as the Guilford County Board of Public Health – gave notice of a meeting for the purpose of “reviewing public health metrics as it relates to COVID-19 in order to evaluate the option to repeal or hold the Board of Health rule related to the reinstatement of mask mandates implemented on January 13, 2022.”

On Thursday, Jan.13, the Board of Commissioners/Health voted to approve a countywide mandate that requires all people indoors at public places like stores and restaurants to wear a mask. 

The board had made a similar move in late summer of 2021 and then rescinded that mandate in mid-November, before implementing a new mandate in January 2022.

The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. and the commissioners will hold the Board of Health meeting during the Board of County Commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting.

The fact that the Board of Health has called another meeting makes it likely that the current mask mandate will be rescinded on Thursday, Feb. 3 – however, at that time, the board will assess current COVID-19 conditions and then make its decision.

  The meeting will be in the Old Guilford County Court House at 301 W. Market Street in downtown Greensboro, in the large commissioners’ meeting room on the second floor. 

Currently, the plan is to allow members of the public to attend the meeting in person.

Those who would rather watch from home can do so using Zoom on a computer, tablet or smartphone by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82628931472. They’ll need to complete the webinar registration and select the option to join from the confirmation email they receive.

They can also view the live stream from the Guilford County Meetings and Minutes website at https://guilford.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. To watch this way, click on the video link for the February 3 meeting.

 The livestream will also be available from Guilford County’s Facebook page.

In addition, the Feb. 3 meeting will be broadcast on Greensboro Television Network (GTN), which is Spectrum Channel 13, NorthState Channel 31 and AT&T U-verse channel 99.