GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — As more and more spaces and businesses continue to reopen, some people are concerned about the safety steps in place and if they’re being followed properly.
If not, there are resources to report your concerns.
Gaston County just launched its coronavirus hotline at 704-862-5303 for callers to alert officials about any business operating concerns that violate the COVID-19 safety guidelines.
In Mecklenburg County, 311 is a resource available for anyone to use.
George Diggs is a Smoothie King customer who shared his own concerns when he recently went to grab a curbside pickup.
“Nobody working was wearing a mask and that concerned me," Diggs said. "I called and the employee told me masks were optional for them."
After calling around to various local and state agencies, Diggs says he decided to directly reach out to Smoothie King through the mobile app and voice his worries.
“You see five or six people in there without a mask then you see there’s a possibility that somebody could be transmitting it and then they could be working on your order down the road possibly,” Diggs said.
Just a few days later, Diggs paid another visit to the South Charlotte Smoothie King. He noticed the employees were all now wearing masks.
“I think if we all contributing to curbing the virus from spreading it makes me feel a lot more comfortable," he said.
So far, Gaston County has only received one concerning call on the hotline since Phase 2 of reopening took effect last Friday in North Carolina.
Mecklenburg County is working to compare 311 calls they’ve received from COVID-19 concerns comparing the period from Phase 1 to Phase 2.