Press release from Buncombe County:
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has extended the county-wide face covering requirement for all indoor public spaces through Jan. 5, 2022 at noon. The indoor mask requirement also extends to Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
In Buncombe County, COVID-19 case rates continue to be high, and per the CDC definition, the County remains an area of high transmission. The percent positivity remains in the moderate category, and the death rate remains in the substantial category.
“Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases continue to increase after a high level plateau. The percent positivity is now consistently above 5% again, and we are likely to see a further increase after the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Public Health Director Stacie Saunders. “Transitioning to living with COVID-19 means doing what we can now to reduce transmission and burden of new infections. Our goal is to dampen as much as possible any surge we may see during this holiday season with the hope of achieving decreasing case rate and spread as we enter the new year.”
Free COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone 5 and older at Buncombe County Health and Human Services by appointment or walk-in between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 40 Coxe Ave., Asheville. No ID is required. Learn more at www.buncombeready.org.
To answer questions about the local COVID-19 metrics, Buncombe County Health and Human Services will host a virtual media Q&A on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. for credentialed media outlets. Buncombe County Public Health Director Stacie Saunders and Board Chair Brownie Newman will be available to answer questions related to the COVID-19 response in Buncombe County. To participate in this Media Q&A, please reply to hhspio@buncombecounty.org. Zoom details will be sent out by 1:45 p.m.
