The Starke County Commissioners approved a mask requirement in county government offices effective today.
The requirement came as a recommendation from Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch who said a mask requirement inside the county buildings could help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus to keep offices open, especially with the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Starke County Commissioner Bryan Cavender agreed with the recommendation, while Commissioner Mark Gourley was initially not in favor of the requirement as he stated a vaccine is widely available. In the end, the two commissioners in attendance agreed to the requirement in county buildings only. Commission President Charlie Chesak was absent. Those entering Starke County government buildings will need to wear a mask while visiting offices for county business.
The requirement will be in effect for two weeks and the commissioners will evaluate the situation at their next meeting.
Lynch said there were 518 positive cases in Starke County in December and flu numbers are also increasing this season. Lynch continues to strongly encourage residents in the county to wear a mask while in public to slow the spread, wash hands as often as possible, use hand sanitizer, and maintain a six-foot distance from other residents.
