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Due to the substantial transmission of COVID-19 locally, Forsyth County Department of Public Health advises everyone to wear masks when in indoor public settings.

The latest guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) advises everyone in areas with substantial or high spread to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status, to prevent the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Most of the state of North Carolina and the majority of the United States has substantial or high COVID-19 transmission.

Unvaccinated individuals account for the vast majority of serious illness, hospitalizations and death from COVID-19. Everyone 12 and older is urged to get the COVID-19 vaccination to prevent serious illness and slow the spread of the disease. More than 160 million Americans have been safely vaccinated. Free COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available in the community, including at the Forsyth County Department of Public Health.

N.C. DHHS also advises if you are not vaccinated, you need to continue practicing the three W’s. Wear a mask in all indoor public settings. Wait six feet apart in all public settings. Wash your hands often. In addition, you should not gather with unvaccinated people who do not live with you. If you do, stay outside, and keep 6 feet of distance. You also should not travel.

“Cases of COVID-19 in Forsyth County have tripled in the last two weeks and there is substantial spread of the virus,” said Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift. “Masks should be worn indoors by everyone, whether they’re vaccinated or unvaccinated. Over 90% of cases are among those unvaccinated, and now is the time to get vaccinated and stop the spread of COVID-19.”