If you think Guilford County government isn’t serious about enforcing its mask mandate – well, think again.
Letters being sent to business owners in the county state in no uncertain terms that the law now requires that facemasks be worn indoors at public places, and it adds that there are increasing financial penalties for not following and enforcing the mask mandate.
The letters, which carry the seal of the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services, are accompanied by a flyer that reads, in big letters, “MaskUp. It’s The Law.”
The letter features a banner graphic that states, “FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED INDOORS. Regardless of Vaccination Status.” It also includes the ominous warning, also in large text: “VIOLATIONS SUBJECT TO CIVIL PENALTIES.”
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners passed a mask mandate in early August but made that move so hastily that it turned out the first version wasn’t legally enforceable. The board then approved a “do-over” motion on Wednesday, Aug. 25 that was legally enforceable – and now business owners must mask up or could be fined.
Some business owners find the letter/warning to be “heavy handed,” but other owners are already stringently enforcing the rules and want to see others follow the rules as well.
At the county commissioners meeting when the mandate was passed, Guilford County Commissioner Kay Cashion said she thought long and hard before voting to implement the ban, but added that, in the end, she felt as though the mandate would help bring the pandemic under control and get businesses back to normal faster.
The letter being sent out by the Health and Human Services Department warns business owners of the escalating penalties they could pay.
People who go maskless face a $50 fine after one warning – but businesses, the letter states, face a $300 fine for a first violation. After that, the fine grows to $500 and then $1,500 for each additional violation by the “same responsible party.”
There’s been uneven enforcement by businesses across the county of the mandate over the past month and county officials no doubt hope this letter will rachet up compliance.
In some stores and other establishments in Guilford County one can find customers who aren’t wearing facemasks and aren’t being told to wear one.
Just remember those magic words
“I’m exempt”
Look forward to seeing all of your smiles around guilford county
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIIIIIIIIIIE!
Businesses have suffered enough from covid restrictions. Now we want them to deal with nutters who often go Karen over being asked to wear a mask? We have done ok with the majority of folks wearing masks. No need to ask store owners / managers to push nutters buttons over mask mandate.
You get what you vote for – which in this case is turning the county into a crime ridden poop hole where businesses get crushed because they want to exclude half the productive contributing members of the community from participation while elevating mask Karen’s to the equivalent of a God. It’s getting WAY more crowded outside Guilford where business is thriving.
Guilford is certainly struggling when compared to Raleigh/Durham or Charlotte that also have public mask mandates and whose economies have grown significantly? Maybe, just maybe it isn’t the covid policies that are the issue but all the nutters fighting them that is holding Greensboro back?
Exactly!!
Oh, you know all about the troubles and travails of small business owners in Guilford County, do you Chris? You have a business that’s been devastated or destroyed by Covid? You have limped through, but have fallen behind on your bills in the last year? You can’t find staff because until this month Joe Biden was topping up unemployment benefits with an extra $300.week, in addition to state benefits, thus making it more rewarding to sit at home than work?
You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Still spewing the power hungry republican’s talking point like a sheep Austin? The $300 a week extra unemployment has ended. Where did all the lazy unemployed go given that the employment crisis has actually grown? They never existed. That was yet another misdirection of the right to deflect from how their anti vaccine and anti mask position has caused the US to still be a hot spot for covid hospitalizations and deaths.
Somebody here is certainly spewing angry bile.
Gibberish, too.
Get a life.
Or a brain.
Again, Austin ‘Racist’ Morris can’t answer the question so he calls names and slings insults. You be you Austin. You be you.
Chris & Austin- why not work together to figure away around this BS instead of spouting off political opinions?
What question, “Chris The Blowhard”?
Chris, that’s what I say about the mask and vax requirements, you be you and I’ll be me. If you want to support this charade, then go ahead, no problem, me, I’ll pass, and that shouldn’t be your concern.
C’mon Chris The Blowhard, what question is it that I cannot answer?
You have nothing, as usual.
This is so typical of Democrats on the local level and federal level.Put on mask everywhere and all shots and booster.Some people do not need shots because they have had virus,which has better immunity than shots.
Vote out all Democrats county level to the Governor’s office and then The President and all Democrats in the House and Senate.
You are asking businesses to police their customers behavior and penalizing them for not doing so. We call that an overreach.
I hear ya “just sayin”; here’s one that needs to be looked into: There were two concerts at the coliseum Tuesday night. I talked to two security people who worked the gate. They said you had to have a mask on to get in, but then it was impossible to enforce the mandate once inside. They were told to not even try. So you have thousands of people in the coliseum shoulder to shoulder. Why wasnt the county Gestapo storming through and dishing out civil penalties?? Why doesn’t Skippy slap ol’ Mac Brown or whoever runs that place with a monstrous fine.. I’d like an answer
Appears it ONLY applies to businesses owners, NOT city or county venues? OR only applies to small gatherings, businesses that are struggling, NOT potential “Super Spreader” events.
Norway & Singapore just lifted all their restrictions (a growing number of countries have). It turns out that most of their people want to embrace both personal responsibility and normalcy and are fatigued over ever changing restrictions.
Some world leaders are also starting to be critical of the media messaging around COVID. The histrionics are not entirely accurate is what they’ve found.
Does this mean they are our enemies now?
Hey skippy how about l bend over and you kiss my MASK
Mandates from comissioners that are going on taxpayer funded trips to the beach to play mask less “feud” with other junket attendees. Rule for thee, notfor me ring true. Hypocrisy and heavy handed rule by decree.
Poor baby authoritarians on the board….. I’m not masking, I identify as exempt and I’m allergic to little humans enforcing silly mandates that don’t work just to feel “powerful.” They are not powerful. They are weak and silly. Let’s all just hope they dutifully get their boosters every few months.
I am a small business owner where no one from the public enters our office. Further, my four employees and I work in separate offices and maintain plenty of space. Skippy, you can take your mandate and stuff it. I cannot believe that the Health Department wasted the money to send this mailing out. How much did it cost? What a total crock.
“Medically exempt”. And the “enforcement” squad cannot even ask what the medical exemption is. DO NOT comply with Skip’s BS. The only counties doing this crap are Guilford, Meck and a few near Raleigh
How many more months do we have to endure this mandate before they figure out masks don’t work?
It has absolutely nothing to do with whether masks work, or not. It is all about control and compliance. Being forced to do anything is demoralizing, and the more people they can break, the more they can control.
If every business would disregard their heavy handed threats, and disregard their fines, this would go away. They can’t shut every business down.
You give them too much credit! If they haven’t noticed that the majority of sheeple have been hiding behind masks for over a year and c0vid is still here, there’s no help for that brand of dumb!
You mean the dumb who reject the only real way to put this virus to rest? Antivaxers are the only reason we still have to deal with this virus. Masks where never a way to beat the virus…only a vaccine can do that. You mean that brand of dumb?
Ahhh, the “You’re so stupid; I’m so smart” knee jerk response of the Leftist.
You’re funny, Chris The Blowhard.
You should be a comedian.
Cannot LOL enough the ridiculousness that a silk scarf is acceptable “Face Covering” means a covering of the nose and mouth that is secured to the head with ties,
straps, or loops over the ears and fits snugly against the side of a person’s face. A Face Covering
can be made of a variety of synthetic and natural fabrics, including cotton, silk, or linen. Ideally,
a Face Covering has two (2) or more layers. A Face Covering may be factory-made, sewn by hand,
or can be improvised from household items such as scarfs, bandanas, t-shirts, sweatshirts, or
towels”
ALSO: JUST REMEMBER: Exceptions. Face Coverings do not need to be worn by someone who:
(1) Should not wear a Face Covering due to any medical or behavioral condition or disability (including,
but not limited to, any person who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious or incapacitated, or is
otherwise unable to put on or remove the Face Covering without assistance); this exception includes
allowing sight of one’s mouth where necessary in such circumstances as facilitating communication with
individuals with a hearing impairment, or to assist in speech therapy and other similar circumstances. Anyone who declines to wear a Face Covering for these reasons should not be required to produce
documentation or any other proof of a condition.
My face covering is a beard.
Guess people will continue to take their patronage to adjoining counties until these elite commissioners are voted out. Your Nazi commands are to be ignored. Shame on you to make these owners enforce your rules that are blatantly illegal and not needed.
Everyone knows these mask mandates will not change a thing on the numbers as they are worthless and not effective.
So sad a bunch of thug elites can control people as this bunch is trying to do.
You mean like Durham, Wake, Orange, or Mecklenburg counties that also have face mask mandates? Given that the triad has actually hit the 70%+ plus mandate that they haven’t closed their boarders to the foolish antivaxers from Guilford county.
thank God I don’t live in Guilford County anymore. Guilford County’s elected leaders are all CRAZY. Get out while you can.
I will continue to go out of Guilford county to purchase everything I can till this madness comes to an end.
The mask is proven to be a non factor. Read the side of the box your mask came in. Covid cases in NC are on the decline. Government control. My body, my choice.
Cases are on the decline….”so stop wearing masks everybody!”….so it will go back up? Keep your germs to yourself and wear the mask until the all clear…it really isn’t a big deal except to the few that have medical issues. No, masks are not perfect but they do help. Study after study agrees. Yes I know some masks are better than others…but it is still better than being FL where hospitals are overcrowded and they have 1/4 of all covid deaths in the US.
If the FL example isn’t enough to prove the importance of masks, go ahead and leave your head in the sand. Vaccinations and booster shots will keep the less paranoid folks safe for the most part.
But you be you Darnell.
Chris, Your COVID FL death percentage number is flat out wrong. A quick google search will tell you FL has less than 8 percent of the total COVID deaths in the US since the beginning of the pandemic. That is, I suppose, if you count those who died OF the virus, as well as those who died WITH the virus. Florida’s population in 2018 numbers is about 6.5 percent of the total US population. Keep in mind that the FL population is likely much larger than 2018 because so many are fleeing the other restrictive blue states to head to FL. So that 6.5 percent could possibly be much lower. Doesn’t seem like FL numbers are completely out of whack considering they have one of the largest — if not the largest — per capita senior population in the country.
Please stop the COVID misinformation.
“Chris” is a veritable fountain of misinformation. And he won’t let the facts get in the way of his opinions, which he airs with the smug self-satisfaction of a classic Leftist. Or as he’d say – “I am educated”!
Really.
Quick google search will show a quarter of covid deaths for month of Aug and first half of September. i.e. while most states are trying their best to put down the virus FL keeps pushing their anti mask, anti vaccine policies to keep it alive.
Florida does not have 25% of all COVID deaths in the US. They rank 10th in the number of total deaths according to – https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109011/coronavirus-covid19-death-rates-us-by-state/
which is about 249/100,000 as of 9/27/2021.
I have to admit I got this one wrong mostly. It was for a brief period in late july FL was a quarter of all deaths. Then school go back in an a lot of states had spikes in Aug.
I am ok admitting I made a mistake. My apologies.
I have family in Florida & visited there just weeks ago. Florida is operating with common sense just like what I witnessed in Randolph County this weekend. About 3 masks in public for every 1,000 people. Florida cases are down significantly from when they peaked 3 weeks ago. Don’t believe everything Don Lemon spouts from behind his desk. The former FDA Chief just reported this week that CDC information lags behind and they are slow to report. He also said delta cases were down 29% nationwide since peaking September 1st.
https://myfox8.com/news/we-need-a-faster-version-of-cdc-former-fda-commissioner-says/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
funny how nobody seems to be aware of the exemptions contained in section 4 of the ordinance … especially the Bestway at Walker and Elam Avenue. I have a legitimate breathing issue for which I am on prescribed medication. Bestway employees didn’t want to hear about it, not one little bit. I asked if they had read the mask mandate. They had not and I’d wager the owner of this fine establishment hasn’t taken the time to read it either. Shame on you Bestway! Shame on you. I’ll never grace you with my presence ever again and I’ve lived in this neighborhood over 30 years. Signed,
Uncle Jack
How are you gonna police this? We don’t even have enough for their job description.
How many people have been prosecuted for texting while driving? I’ve seen them looking at a giant hand-held screen, and actually reading printed material.
What if someone walks in without a mask, and the owner is prosecuted for it.
This mandate is all based on fear, and control. Civil disobedience of unjust decrees and laws.
Couldn’t agree more. Many police departments are having to divert resources away from what they’re supposed to be doing, in order to force people to comply with unconstitutional, useless mandates. And when they do their jobs like they’re supposed to, they’re thrown under the bus and persecuted.
Greensboro’s huge murder and crime rates obviously mean nothing to Greensboro’s and Guilford county’s elected officials.
This is nothing more than compliance testing for the big socialist push that’s coming. Step 1: Comply. Step 2: Get you to rat out noncompliant comrades. Step 3: Get in the bread line so the government can feed you, tell you what to do, and tell you what to think.
Right! In the Soviet Union, children were taught to spy on their parents. I’ve seen the LEFT use the same type of tactic.
In Nazi Germany, Brown Shirts would block Jewish businesses by threatening expose anyone who went in. Much more than shaming.
Not only are we asking business owners to be responsible for STUPID PEOPLE the County has MASK POLICE throughout the county.
There is only so much you can mandate Skip!
Can the County show us the science where mask wearing since August 25 has reduced our Covid numbers?
I am a business owner in Guilford County, and I received the envelope with the menacing threats and the bumper sticker, or sticker I’m supposed to put on my front door, or wherever. It says “MASK UP. IT’S THE LAW”.
Jawhohl , Mein Fuehrer!
What kind of country have we become? Face masks are utterly useless, just another aspect of the Covid theatre we’re all expected to perform. And doesn’t that tell you it’s all about control and submission, not health and “science”? If you want to see the science on these face diapers, research the Danish and Bangladeshi studies.
Got that, Skip?
This whole mask mandate is insane. There is no statistically significant difference in Covid rates between counties that have a mask mandate and counties that do not. This is government overreach pure and simple. This is making sure that the little people bend to the will of the government. As a result, I am doing all of my shopping and dining out in Alamance county.
Where are they hanging the the “MaskUp. It’s The Law.” signs at the border? Look liked the 15,000 Haitians were not wearing them last week? Can we fine the Federal Government as an business?
The lawsuits will begin the minute they issue a fine, guaranteed. King Alston is clueless about what his actual authority is and will be slapped back to reality by the judicial system.
CDC plainly stated “masks don’t matter”. So it comes down to a power trip, “Do as I say, or else”.
Get on with your life or just stay home.
In the meantime, screw you Skippy
We will not comply. Business owners should take a stand. So what if we don’t pay your silly little fine?
Bob Dylan said it right: “Don’t follow leaders and watch your parkin’ meters!” The “leaders” almost NEVER get it right, and in the case of this heavy handed(and it IS) pronouncement, they do way more damage than good. We’ve seen enough by now to know that the mask gives a false sense of security. If you listen to more than one narrative, you know that the mask mandate is simply a sign of control. Plain and simple. What about the common sense that our immune system is or best defense and produces stronger antibodies than this weak and risky jab? Is there a civil penalty for not social distancing or washing hands often? I’m really good at that. But that’s not important because it can’t be monitored by the county regime. Its so refreshing to go to neighboring counties to play, shop, and eat out without this nonsense. And by the way county commissioners, how about you all putting on some hazmat suits and go pick up all these nasty masks that are laying around everywhere.
This has NEVER been about our health and well being. It has only been about control.
If this was about our safety, our southern border would be closed.
If this was about our health, cigarettes and tobacco products would have been banned a long time ago.
If this was about our health, they would have been promoting healthier lifestyles and eating habits. Instead, they try and bribe us with donuts to take their poisonous vaccine.
They want us at each others’ throats, turning in friends, neighbors and family for disobeying their directives. Before this, they promoted black vs white, men vs women, rich vs poor, and every other thing they could think of to divide us. Now it’s masked vs unmasked, and vaccinated vs unvaccinated.
These elected officials are supposed to be our representatives, not our overlords. Too many people don’t understand that, and are willing to just hand over their lives to the government without question.
I pray for the day when everyone’s eyes are opened to the truth. It’s time to wake up, people.
Dead right, Tom.
This mass hysteria is all about control, and about submission.
Our health and wellbeing have nothing to do with it.
There is no scientific data that says that masks are effective. I have not seen one study, let alone a “peer reviewed” study that shows the effectiveness of wearing a piece of cloth over your face. To think, I served in combat where there was a threat of biological weapons (read anthrax) being used, to think I could have just put a piece of cloth over my face instead of the government investing all that money and time into the full chemical suit, and mask that I had to wear during attacks! Man, all the money the government could have saved! The man hours I spent training for a time when I might have to wear that suit, and the money that the training cost were all for nothing when all I had to do was put a piece of cloth over my face! Did anyone not pick up on the sarcasm here?
Business owners should keep a gallon of tar and a sack of feathers by their door, and make it clear any county “health” tyrant who walks through their doors ready to enforce these blatantly illegal and unconstitutional mandates will be leaving with a new tar-and-feather suit
Business owners can get tar from most any farm or livestock supply store. And feathers could probably be purchased from most craft stores.
Ol’ Skippy and his ilk need to remember they were elected to *represent* us, NOT rule us.
Sic Semper Tyrannis