BEATRICE – The Beatrice Health Board Monday approved clarifications to a previously enacted requirement to wear masks in all indoor public spaces, keeping the mandate in place through January 15th.

The five-member board heard from opponents and supporters of the mask rule, then voted 5-0 in favor of the clarifications. Included were clarifications regarding restaurants, age of children and their use of masks…and removing the duty of businesses themselves to enforce the mask mandate on their customers. They must still post a notice that details the requirement.

Ashley Mason of Beatrice said the mandate represents fearful propaganda by the city, which she says is dividing the community.

"To vote a mandate in place that limits the citizens and businesses in making the best choices for themselves...it allows you to control and make public nuisances of healthy, thriving citizens. It is a disgrace to have our city lose businesses, because in reality, you yourselves are the public nuisance...not those you claim to be protecting."

Connie Harmon told the board she supports the mask mandate to keep people as safe as possible.  "I believe the mask mandate in combination with other recommended health measures is working. And after a month of having the mandate, we're starting to see a good reduction in the number of Covid cases go down in Gage County. For the first time in six weeks, we're out of the red zone. I recognize that a mask mandate is not a popular decision. No one likes to wear them. I believe that asking residents to wear a mask while in public places is not an unreasonable request."

Sabrina Glynn of Beatrice urged the board to remove the mandate.  "You guys have the ability to make it a recommendation. Those that want to wear masks, will wear them. Their children will wear them. For somebody like me, I will not wear one...I will not make my children wear one. And, I will not frequent a business nor spend my valuable money in a business who makes me wear one."

Gail Butler of Beatrice says it is a very simple thing to wear a mask and said she’s sad some parents don’t teach their children to care enough about people around them, to wear a mask.  "Anyone who doesn't want to wear a mask should try going to a hospital and see what it is like to wear a ventilator. I would like you to go and talk to a health care giver that has had to tell someone who is dying, that they will never see their children again because they were exposed to people who would not wear a mask."

Health board member, Police Chief Bruce Lang said his personal opinion on the issue is not relevant. He said it is about relying on experts.

"We've not had a single epidemiologist, we've not had a single physician, we've not had a single infectious disease expert...that has said to us that masks were a bad idea. When it comes to police work, I think I know quite a lot about that. When it comes to infectious disease, I have to rely on other experts to give me advice on what we should and shouldn't be doing."

Dr. Steven Paulmeyer, the medical member of the health board, said the board members are long-time local citizens who have the community’s best interests at heart.  "While the opposing viewpoint of this community is certainly the loudest, it is not the viewpoint of the majority of people in this community. I think all of us here can say after reviewing the comments that we received before this meeting, that the proponents of this far outweigh those that oppose. I feel comfortable that the comments and decisions that we're making truly represent the majority of people from Gage County."

Since the mask mandate went into effect, the risk dial for the health district including Gage County has improved from the red category, into the orange category.

Board members favored keeping the mask rule in place for a period just beyond the two holiday weekends coming up. There is concern about another spike in cases with travel and families getting together.