'Just chill:' COVID outbreak, masks return to Carrboro High

Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools said masks will be required indoors for staff and students starting on Thursday. Masks could be required beyond April 22 based on case counts related to the school, the school district said.

Students who spoke to WRAL News outside the school on Thursday said that while some were wearing masks after the outbreak, not everyone was compliant and that there was little sense of worry.

"Like three-fifths of the students have them on. You don't care that much anymore. It is just COVID," Richard Patricio said. "No one is really worried, just chill."

The two seniors, who said they did not attend the prom on April 9, said they did not mind the return of the mask mandate.

"I think it is really actually a good thing," said Quan Davis. "It went up – COVID cases – a lot."

North Carolina's COVID cases have increased in April

Dr. Mike Smith, a pediatric infectious disease expert with Duke Health said he is not surprised to see a cluster of cases.

“We have learned how to keep ourselves safe and that is by masking and vaccinating, and we have learned that you do not need to close schools. You don’t need to close businesses,” he said.

Students and staff are also asked to get tested for the virus, stay home if they feel sick or have COVID-19 or cold-like symptoms, self-screen daily before coming to the school and get a vaccine or booster.

Across town at Chapel Hill High School, the school's website shows about two dozen active COVID cases, but not a return to mask wearing indoors.

WRAL News reached out to Wake and Durham school districts to ask if the Carrboro outbreak would prompt them to take extra precautions during prom and graduation season, but they have yet to provide an answer.

Smith said, "I think that is going to vary by each individual school district, each individual county.”