Cobb County extends emergency declaration amid COVID-19 surge
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Cobb County is extending its emergency declaration due to the ongoing COVID-19 surge, officials announced.
The declaration will now be in place for at least another 30 days which keeps the order in place through mid-February, Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.
Officials did note that the emergency declaration will continue to be reevaluated as they monitor the rate of the spread.
"The current surge caused by the omicron variant continues to have serious impacts on our local hospitals," Chairwoman Cupid said. "Cases remain well above high community spread, and until we get those numbers down we need to encourage residents to take precautions; to continue wearing masks, watching their distance, and washing their hands. Those precautions are outlined in this order."
The order allows the county’s Emergency Operations Plan to remain in place. Due to the emergency plan, all public meetings will be held virtually.
County officials said mask requirements are set to expire at the end of January.
The county's mask mandates currently require face coverings to be worn inside Cobb government buildings including libraries, indoor parks facilities, and senior centers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending people opt for the highly-protective N95 or KN95 masks over cloth masks to ward off the highly-contagious omicron variant and slow the coronavirus spread.
CDC ENCOURAGE N95, KN95 MASKS TO STOP COVID-19 SPREAD AMID OMICRON SURGE
Single-layer cloth masks may not provide adequate protection against the very infectious omicron variant of COVID-19, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.
Many infectious disease experts noted people prefer cloth masks because they are more comfortable and fashionable to wear, but these masks can only block larger droplets of COVID-19, not smaller aerosols or particles that can also carry the virus.
____