North Carolina's outdoor mask mandate lifted, but don't leave your mask at home Replay Video UP NEXT This weekend is the first in nearly a year that many North Carolinians will choose to drop their face masks while outside in public. The mandate had been in effect since June of 2020, requiring anyone over the age of 5 to wear a face covering in outdoor settings when social distancing of six feet could not be maintained. Here's why you shouldn't leave your face mask at home, though. The new order reads that North Carolinians are encouraged to wear face coverings outdoors in certain crowded, dense, and higher-risk settings when they can't social distance.