Should North Carolina Mask Up Again? Take The Patch Survey

NORTH CAROLINA— As of Wednesday, nearly every county in North Carolina was experiencing a "high" threat of COVID-19 spread, according to a new set of metrics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Is it time once again to break out the masks?

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services thinks so. That agency is recommending that all North Carolina residents over two years of age, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, return to wearing masks when in indoor public spaces. And while Gov. Roy Cooper agrees with the recommendation and regularly urges North Carolinians to mask up, he has stopped short of issuing mandate.

"We really believe that people now know what to do to protect themselves and other people, and our primary focus is going to be on vaccinations," he said last week.

The CDC and DHHS are calling for universal masking in K-12 schools, however many school districts throughout North Carolina are opting for a mask-optional policy when school starts this month.

Vaccination is still the best defense against illness and hospitalization from COVID-19, but children under the age of 12 are ineligible for the jab, and will likely remain so well into the school year. Should age or vaccination status matter when it comes to masking students and teachers in North Carolina schools, or should one mask mandate fit all?

Patch is asking readers: What do you think?

Should even vaccinated residents wear masks indoors? Should schools continue to require masks at all? Does North Carolina need a new mask mandate? Or is this delta thing overrated and about to blow over? And will an increase in masking do more harm than good?

Take Patch's survey below and let us know how you feel. The survey is meant not to be a scientific poll, but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

Patch Staff, Kara Seymour and Rich Kirby contributed