(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors today (Tues.) discussed whether or not the mask mandate in the courthouse should be lifted. Supervisor Tim Fairchild said based on what he’s heard from Public Health, it’s too early to do that yet…
“Our positivity rate yesterday in Dickinson county was 4.5 percent, the highest in the state. We now have two of the variants in Dickinson county which are much more contagious and actually much more dangerous, mathematically. I really think it’s a mistake to slack up right now on our mask mandate. Pick a time in the future, I will consider that. I don’t think right now’s the time.”
Fellow supervisor Kim Wermersen said he feels mask wearing in the courthouse should be optional, and that a decision should be made very soon…
“The lines are drawn. All we can do is that we that have been vaccinated; we’ve got plexi glass, we’ve got the best system for air vent that there is. I think we have to make it optional at some point. I do respect public health a ton and I’m open to listening to her. But here’s the deal: we have people that are masked eight hours a day. 16 hours they can go do whatever they want to without a mask. I can’t trace them all of the time.”
Fairchild added he’d like to invite Katy Burke of Dickinson County Public Health to the board’s meeting next week to further address the matter before taking any official action.
The board did approve a proposal to discontinue a portion of the COVID policy pertaining to 80 hours of pay to county employees who test positive and need to quarantine. Supervisor Steve Clark…
“You know everybody has the option of getting vaccinated. If they don’t want it, then they’re accepting the responsibility on their own. It’s their choice.”
The discussion arose as the supervisors considered some other revisions to the policy, which they approved.
