Harnett County takes down pictures of maskless meeting

"The posted images were not consistent with the message the county has been sharing related to the use of face coverings when in close proximity and other measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19," Assistant County Manager Brian Haney said in an email. "The post has been removed.”

The post showed state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey visiting the Coats Grove Fire and Rescue station. A number of others, including state Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, posed for a photo outside, in front of a fire truck.

The post also included images from an indoor meeting. Causey and others were standing apart from each other, but they weren't wearing masks.

Causey, who is also the state fire marshal, said he tends to follow the firefighters' lead on such visits.

"Most of these firefighters are not wearing masks just around the fire station," he said. "I stand with the firefighters, so whatever they say."

Causey also said that, when he's in meetings with county officials, many times people wear masks, then remove them for photos. He said he was in Caswell and Rockingham counties Wednesday for a groundbreaking, and "every person there had on a mask."

"The only time I took my mask off ... was when I spoke at the microphone," Causey said.

The state is under a mandatory mask order, though it deals largely with businesses settings.

Health experts have said repeatedly that wearing a mask or face covering blocks respiratory droplets, which are believed to be a primary transmission path for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. They have said masks are important for just about everyone, because even people without symptoms can spread the virus.