I have written our state and county health departments, county commissioners and even the governor’s office about the large crowds that gather at the Webb Road Flea Market each weekend without observing social distancing or wearing masks.

The 250 vendor tables are not 6 feet apart and the 10 buildings full of vendors and customers are defnitely not following the COVID-19 guidelines. You can come out any Saturday or Sunday between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and observe the thousands of people selling or shopping as well as food trucks serving crowds of people just like they did before the pandemic surfaced.

Very few individuals are following the state mandates, especially wearing masks. Most of the patrons are Hispanic and that is why the big surge in Rowan County of COVID-19 with this population. People come from surrounding areas like Lexington, Concord, Charlotte, etc. So, it stands to reason that cases are spreading when most people are not following state mandates, especially wearing masks.

This could be one reason why Rowan County ranks fifth in North Carolina for its number of COVID-19 deaths.

— Donald Marsh

Salisbury