FAYETTEVILLE N.C. – Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green reminds Cumberland County residents that the Public Health Abatement Order remains in place. Face coverings are required indoors across Cumberland County, including all municipalities -- Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Wade, Eastover, Falcon, Godwin, Linden and Stedman.

When will the Abatement Order be lifted?

The Abatement Order continues to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services guidance for masking. CDC and NC DHHS guidance recommends that everyone wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status in all indoor public spaces if you live in areas of high or substantial levels of transmission as defined by the CDC Community Transmission Map.

Community Transmission Levels are determined by two indicators -- case rates and test percent positivity. If the two indicators are categorized in different transmission levels, the higher level is selected.

“While trends are improving, Cumberland County remains in high transmission,” Dr. Green said.

“Children under the age of 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. Face coverings remain an important tool to protect children and keeping them safe inside of schools and childcare centers and as they gather with friends and family. We anticipate that children ages 5-11 will become eligible to get vaccinated in early November, helping to continue to improve our metrics,” Green said. 

We will continue to monitor transmission levels in Cumberland County and current recommendations from CDC and NC DHHS about masking. For more information on the Abatement Order, go to cumberlandcountync.gov.

NCDHHS recommends that schools base their mask requirements on levels of community transmission, as defined by the CDC. NCDHHS recommends schools continue to implement a universal face covering requirement if they are in a county with high or substantial levels as defined by the CDC. When community transmission levels decline in your county to moderate or low levels for at least 7 consecutive days, school leaders can consider making face coverings optional for vaccinated individuals. Face coverings in school continue to be required for all unvaccinated individuals until community transmission is at low levels, when masks could be optional for everyone.

Determining Transmission Risk

If the two indicators suggest different transmission levels, the higher level is selected