The Durham City and county governments decided that masks will be required to be worn in public, according to WTVD.
The governments issued a unified stay-at-home order regarding the masks but said that those who did not wear them would not be denied entry to public transit or removed from public transit, the news agency reported in mid-April.
"If you're out walking and you're not in a crowd you don't need to wear a face covering, but if you're in the store, the pharmacy, the grocery where you're not able to socially distance that's when it's really, really important," Mayor Steve Schewel told the news agency.
County Commissioner Chairwoman Wendy Jacobs wants residents to hold themselves accountable, telling the news agency that no one will issue tickets or citations and that the order was based on voluntary compliance.
The face coverings rule went into effect on April 20.
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