GREENFIELD — With end of the state mask mandate and the relaxing of other COVID-19 restrictions, the Hancock County Board of Commissioners is urging citizens to continue exercising caution in their interactions with others, including by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
The three commissioners, along with Hancock County’s health officer, Dr. Gary Sharp, signed a letter urging residents to “continue to be vigilant by practicing social distancing, washing hands, wearing a face mask when appropriate, and looking out for one another as we have always done here in this community.”
The letter was released late Tuesday afternoon, April 6. You can read it in its entirety here.
“The citizens and businesses in our county have reacted responsibly to the Governor’s directives since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis,” the letter said. “It is your prerogative as to whether or not you will wear a mask based on the removal of the mandate, however, you are free to use your own judgement (sic), and local businesses may or may not require a mask to be worn when frequenting their premises.”
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s mandate that Hoosiers wear face coverings in public expired Tuesday, April 6, though he issued an advisory that citizens should continue to mask up. Additionally, patrons at restaurants, bars and clubs are no longer required to remain seated, and social distancing between tables will not be enforced.
The mask mandate had not been enforced with a criminal penalty or fine. Local governments are free to impose more restrictive rules in their own jurisdiction.
The commissioners’ letter also said residents who wish to be vaccinated should do so as soon as possible. Vaccination appointments are now available to all Indiana residents ages 16 and above; appointments are available at a number of locations in the county, including at Hancock Regional Hospital and the Hancock County Health Department.
“We ask that each individual make the determination themselves with the health and well-being of the entire community at the forefront of your thinking and consideration,” the letter said.
The letter is a departure in tone for the commissioners, who have been resistant to state COVID-19 policy throughout the pandemic. Last summer, current commissioners John Jessup and Marc Huber, along with then-commissioner Brad Armstrong, sent a letter to Holcomb’s office protesting the mask mandate and saying such policy decisions should be left up to counties.
Sharp, along with Dr. Julia Compton of the Hancock Physicians Network and former county health officer Dr. Sandra Aspy, spoke at the commissioners’ meeting last week to urge the board to consider continuing a mask mandate past the expiration of the state order. The doctors said keeping the mandate in place for two to four additional weeks would allow more time for people in the community to get vaccinated and could help avoid a scenario where the county would need to impose harsher restrictions if cases increase.
Though the commissioners did not decide to extend the mandate, they did emphasize in their letter Tuesday that controlling COVID-19 is important to allowing the economy to remain open.
“The Commissioners remain very sensitive to the fact that it is of paramount importance, in conjunction with the health of our citizens, that we maintain commerce and business,” the letter said. “We must continue to unite in our efforts and personal responsibility to fight the spread of this virus.”
Hancock County remains in the “yellow” advisory level on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, which represents moderate community spread.
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April 07, 2021 at 04:54AM
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Commissioners encourage continued COVID cautions - Greenfield Daily Reporter
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