Wake County schools plan to drop the mask mandate, the school system said Friday morning.

The announcement comes a day after the governor said school boards and local governments should make masks optional by March 7 if coronavirus case numbers continue trending lower.

"I'm grateful for local officials who have done amazing work to protect children and save lives in difficult circumstances. The omicron variant of this virus overran the nation quickly. Now, just as fast as the numbers peaked, they are falling," Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Roy Cooper said school boards and local governments should drop mask mandates by March 7

  • Wake County schools will make face masks optional “in the coming days,” the school system said Friday

  • COVID-19 case numbers have been dropping in North Carolina in recent weeks

  • Less than half of the public school districts in North Carolina still require masks in the classroom

 

Wake County school officials said they do not have the exact date for when masks will become options, but said it will be "in the coming days." The Wake County Board of Education will decide on the exact date.

"While the relaxed health guidelines do not mark the end of the pandemic, it does signal a new phase for this virus," the school system said in a statement.

The City of Raleigh still has its own mask mandate for public indoor spaces.

Some school boards around North Carolina have already ended their mask mandates as COVID case numbers started dropping in recent weeks. Less than half of the state's public school systems still require masks in the classroom, according to the North Carolina School Boards Association.

"This pandemic has been difficult for all of us. It’s been particularly tough on parents, teachers, and school children. It’s time to focus on getting our children a good education and improving our schools, no matter how you feel about masks," the governor said.