CHARLOTTE, N.C. — St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte's Ballantyne neighborhood is recommending attendees wear masks that cover both the nose and the mouth to mass.
The church also encourages that as "an act of charity and love," members of the church also wear masks for any indoor activity at the church.
The church shared the recommendation on its website, saying the decision came in response to the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant.
COVID-19 metrics in North Carolina have returned to levels they were at in February, which was before the vaccine was widely available to the public. The majority of these cases are due to the delta variant, which has become the dominant strain.
Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris told county leaders Wednesday that vaccinations have gone up over the past couple of weeks, but are still nowhere where the vaccination rate needs to be. Harris said hospitalizations are rising, with hospitals in the area reporting that 99% of local people being treated in the hospital for COVID-19 are not vaccinated.
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