Mayor Washam on a ‘Friday Update’ in April
Aug. 27. By Dave Yochum. Even as the Town of Cornelius waits until Aug. 31 to follow the county-wide mask mandate—Davidson did so Aug. 19—Mayor Woody Washam is resuming his weekly COVID talk as of today.
The mayor said he is concerned about soaring COVID numbers: 416 new cases in Cornelius since July 26.
Washam himself caught the coronavirus back in October when Town Board meetings were socially distanced. The social distancing stopped as the case volume dwindled this spring.
Washam’s weekly “fireside chats,” which included helpful information about the pandemic, ended in early June.
Statewide, there were 8,620 new cases reported yesterday by the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services.
“I’m concerned for our citizens,” Washam said. A total of 26 Cornelius residents have passed away due to COVID-19. The majority of them were residents of AutumnCare where an outbreak occurred more than a year ago.
There are no masking rules in Town Hall as of right now, but they will go in effect Aug. 31 with the county-wide mandate. The Davidson Town Board opted to follow the county mandate immediately.
Like Cornelius, Huntersville opted to wait. Matthews Town Commissioners lined up with Davidson on Aug. 19.
Washam said there is no social distancing mandate at Town Hall, nor any requirements for vaccines or temperature checks.
That said, social distancing during town board meetings could happen, the mayor said.
“The town currently posts signs at entrances making the public aware that the CDC guidance is that unvaccinated individuals wear a mask when indoors,” according to Town Manager Andrew Grant.
Hospitalizations
Atrium Health reports 94 percent of its patients are unvaccinated. Statewide, there were 3,552 people hospitalized with COVID as of yesterday, according to NCDHHS. On June 28, there were 368.
