Staff Writer
On Friday, Gov. Cooper relaxed the state’s mask mandate and more businesses are doing the same.
But health officials are still encouraging people to get a COVID-19 vaccine because the virus is still lingering and infecting people.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association on Monday said it will relax its mask requirements for fully vaccinated people but said unvaccinated guests should wear face-coverings at all times and practice physical distancing. The association said it is not asking, at this time, for hotels to require proof of vaccination status.
The association said that hotel employees should continue to wear masks indoors for the time being.
In a release, Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, said, “The COVID-19 vaccine provides our nation and our industry hope for recovery after a devastating year. But, we expect further guidance from the CDC and public health experts to support our efforts to ensure the safety of our workforce, guests and the general public.
“In this spirit, as an industry we support innovative solutions to encourage our workforce and guests to get vaccinated, and call on all Americans to be vaccinated before removing face-coverings.”
The Burke County Health Department reported 15 new cases since Friday, for a total of 10,215 cases on Monday, up from 10,200 cases on Friday. The total cases are since the first case was reported in Burke County on March 24, 2020.
Read More: Hotel industry relaxing mask requirements for those vaccinated | Local News