Columbus mayor lifts mask mandate for city-owned buildings. What to know
Columbus residents will no longer need to wear masks to enter city-owned buildings, Mayor Skip Henderson announced Friday.
The requirement ended Friday at 5 p.m. Surgical and KN95 masks will still be available at the entrance points of buildings owned by the Columbus Consolidated Government. Judges may still require masks in city courtroom and jury selection facilities.
Masks are still recommended, the mayor’s office said in a news release.
The change comes after recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that most Georgia residents did not need to wear a mask indoors.
“Columbus, Georgia’s rate of infection has dropped below 100 cases per 100,000 residents when averaged over the past 14 days,” a portion of the statement reads. “In light of this dramatic reduction in transmission and in accordance with Centers for Disease Control recommendations, the mayor, with advice from other subject matter experts, has declared that persons entering buildings owned by the CCG are no longer required to be masked before entry.”
Data from the Georgia Department of Public Health shows Columbus has reported 74 cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks. Recent data shows the number of confirmed cases in Muscogee County matches levels in mid-December before the Omicron variant surge.
Muscogee County reported five new COVID-19 cases Friday. As of late February, the COVID-19 community level in Muscogee County is medium.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 3:49 PM.