Mass N95 mask distribution in Greensboro

By Yasmine Regester, Peacemaker Staff Writer / February 4, 2022

To combat the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19, Guilford County Board of Commissioners reinstated a countywide mask mandate on January 13. In order to make sure that residents have access to N95 masks, the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services (GCDHHS) held a mass mask distribution event at the Greensboro Coliseum on Monday, January 31.

Distribution was limited to one box of N95 respirator masks per household, with each box containing 22 masks. The free, drive-thru event distributed a total of 56,000 masks. Supplies were distributed on a first come, first served basis.

Currently, Guilford County has been categorized as having a high COVID-19 transmission rate, according to the contact tracing map on the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services website.
According to the GCDHHS COVID-19 database, the daily positive percentage rate is 27 percent, which public health experts say is six times higher than what is recommend. There have been 1,890 new positive cases in the last two weeks. A total of 998 people in Guilford County have died due to complications from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

There are currently 237 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Cone Health Hospitals. While 61 of those people are fully vaccinated, the other 171 are not vaccinated. To date, sixty percent of Guilford County residents have been fully vaccinated.

Guilford County Schools also reinstated its mask mandate alongside the county.

County health leaders and government officials say they will review the data and revisit the mask mandate later this month.

For more information on vaccinations and where to pick up masks, visit: www.guilfordcountync.gov.