VICKIE BURLEY FROM DAVIDSON WEARING A MASK IN CORNELIUS
Aug. 19. By Dave Yochum. After an hours’ worth of discussion Thursday evening, the Davidson Town Board voted 5-0 to enact a town-wide mask mandate.
They considered waiting to begin the indoor mask mandate on Monday, and then Friday at 5 pm, but agreed it was urgent for the sake of public health for masking to begin immediately.
The Davidson mask mandate officially began at 7 this evening.
The vote came as the Charlotte region and the state confront soaring infections and hospitalizations caused by the highly contagious delta variant.
7,000+ new cases in NC
The NC Dept. of Health and Human Services today reported 7,020 new cases of COVID-19 statewide, the highest number of new cases since January. Hospitalizations broke through the 3,000 mark, with 3,083 North Carolinians hospitalized due to the coronavirus.
There were 18 new cases of the coronavirus in Davidson reported today.
COVID and children
COVID is rising among the younger population. A joint report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association says that children accounted for 9.1 percent of COVID cases as of Aug. 13, 2020, compared to 14.4 percent as of Aug. 12, 2021.
Mayor Knox
“I’ve had so many parents of small children call me…and expect us to issue a mandate to protect the children because these children had no other protection…they’re too young to be vaccinated,” Mayor Rusty Knox said.
Business impact
The Davidson commissioners said they were aware of concerns that businesses might have, but that the possibility of preventing serious illness outweighed them.
Police Chief Penny Dunn indicated the preferred method of enforcement is non-confrontational. That said, commissioners said most people in Davidson are already complying with indoor masking in public settings.
Chief Dunn
Background
Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte earlier this week imposed a mask mandate that went into effect Wednesday. The proclamation mandates that face coverings be worn in any indoor public place, business, or establishment within the City of Charlotte and the unincorporated areas of of the county, regardless of vaccination status.
This requirement applies to all individuals who are at least five years of age.
For municipalities outside Charlotte, Davidson and unincorporated areas of the county, the mask mandate goes into effect on Aug. 28.
Cornelius and Huntersville opted to wait for the Aug. 28 effective date. Cornelius had 19 new cases today; Huntersville, 40.
Matthews also voted to impose a mask mandate tonight.
Duration?
The town mandate will remain in effect until Mecklenburg County’s health directive supersedes it later next week, at which point the Town of Davidson’s mandate expires.
Virtual meetings, virtual comment
The Town Board also decided to move to virtual Board of Commissioners and Advisory Board meetings. In accordance, the board will meet virtually for its next meeting on August 24, 2021, and video will be available on the town’s website and YouTube channel.
