GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — All Gwinnett County employees will be required to wear face masks at county buildings and facilities starting Monday, officials said in a news release.
This comes after the county reported their community level for COVID-19, "which is determined by hospital bed usage, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the community — is high."
They also strongly suggested that visitors wear masks inside their county buildings and facilities. In courtrooms, the judge will make the decision if masks are required or not for visitors, the county said.
“For two and a half years, our employees have adapted to provide running water, safe roads, emergency response and other critical services to residents,” County Administrator Glenn Stephens said. “It is imperative that we keep our workforce safe to continue to deliver the superior quality services our residents expect and deserve.”
Most metro Atlanta counties are now considered to have a high transmission rate for COVID-19 following a surge in new cases. The latest variant, BA.5, is the most contagious and is spreading rapidly around the Peach State, according to doctors. BA.5 is so transmissible that people who've gotten COVID before are getting it again, meaning it is now evading natural antibodies built up from prior infections and current COVID-19 vaccinations.
The mask requirement for Gwinnett employees starts on July 18.