Shopping on Black Friday? Know where you must wear a mask and where it's optional

The indoor mask mandates will remain in place across much of Wake County for the foreseeable future, including Black Friday next week, according to officials.

"We talk just about every day with our county partners, [and] we are monitoring data. We are not ready to modify the mask mandate yet," Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said Friday.

In addition to Raleigh, masks are required indoors in stores and other public gathering spots in Garner, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville and unincorporated areas of Wake County. Orange County and Durham County also have mask mandates in place.

"We have 20 or 30 people shopping in here, and everyone is wearing a mask," said Pam Blondin, owner of the Deco Raleigh gift shop.

They can shop mask-less in Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs or Wake Forest, none of which has a mask mandate in place.

"I think people are fed up and ready to get back to their life," said Kyle Denis, owner of Apex Outfitters.

While the staff of the outdoor gear retailer will remain masked up, Denis said his customers don’t have to under Apex's rules.

"We are just going to trust that they’re going to do the right thing," he said.

Some shoppers bag Wake mask mandates

Major retailers like Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Home Depot and Target follow local and state guidelines when it comes to masks.

Baldwin and Wake County officials have said that the area needs to drop into the "moderate" viral transmission category, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before they would consider lifting the mask mandates.

That would require an infection rate of fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 residents for a week. Wake County currently has more than 103 cases per 100,000 residents, putting it in the CDC's "high" viral transmission category.

Blondin said she just hopes people shop safely in the coming weeks – and come to her store.

"This season, not to be over dramatic, is really make or break for us," Blondin said, noting that the 10 days surrounding Black Friday account for one-fifth of the money she makes for the year.