Cumberland County will be lifting the indoor mask mandate beginning Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. This comes after the Cumberland County Schools Board of Education voted to lift their mask mandate earlier this month.

The mask mandate for the county went into place back on Aug. 27 when the Delta Variant of COVID-19 was rising in the county. However, the latest data shows that the COVID-19 infection positivity rate peaked in North Carolina at 36.3% on Jan. 22 and has decreased to 14.4% as of Feb. 15. Cumberland County’s positivity rate has decreased from 37.8% on Jan. 31, to 25.5% on Feb. 15. The Cumberland County Department of Public Health says that the number continues to decline.

“The COVID-19 landscape looks different than it did two years ago. We know what works and what stops the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Jennifer Green, Cumberland County Public Health Director. “Masks remain an effective strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Despite the recension of this formal order, we continue to recommend masking in public indoor spaces, particularly and in settings with lower vaccination rates.”

Masks will still be required in all Cumberland County government buildings, including the Cumberland County Department of Public Health and the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. Residents should continue to comply with mask requirements in businesses, healthcare and long-term facilities, educational settings, and other institutions as appropriate.

The Federal CDC Order requires face masks to be worn by all people at indoor transportation hubs and while on public transportation, including school buses and vans, remains in place.