City of Beatrice Health Board enacts mask mandate

BEATRICE – A five-member City of Beatrice Health Board has voted unanimously to enact a mask mandate for all indoor public spaces, through December 15th.
Facing a surge of coronavirus cases and reduced local hospital bed availability, the board took that step during the first meeting it has held since July.
Board member Dr. Steven Paulmeyer, participating remotely during the meeting, said the action is two-fold.

"We're trying to do this to keep businesses open, to keep our hospital capacity down. We're trying to do this to look after all of our community members, and this is based on data. I know there's lots of different feelings about mask mandates and whether or not they work, but if you look at statistically the other two counties in the state that have done this, their numbers are drastically lower than the rest of the outstate. We're doing this not just as a political move, but as a reason to actually reduce cases and help everybody out."

The mask mandate would apply to all public indoor spaces, including exercise clubs. It would not include outdoor areas. The mandate takes effect immediately.
Directed Health Measures that would still apply in the city of Beatrice include no more than eight people per table at bars and restaurants, no bar seating and no games allowed. Paulmeyer said the Beatrice area is currently seeing a Covid positive test percentage of 30-to-40 percent, which he called significant.

Main Street Beatrice Executive Director Michael Sothan said a chief concern of local businesses is that health measures remain uniform between state and local governments. He said most businesses are doing a good job encouraging mask use by their employees and customers.

"That's when it becomes quite a mental fatigue for businesses just trying to understand who's asking them to do what. Most of our business owners want to do the right thing...they want to stay open. They want to serve their customers safely. But, whatever we can do to make it very clear, concise, simple and easy to follow for both them and their customers."

None of the local health board members favored shutting down businesses, but rather focusing on the use of masks to help combat an increase in Covid cases locally.   Beatrice Mayor Stan Wirth chairs the local health board, and he supports narrowing the focus to the mask requirement.
"It's a start. I'm not saying it's a be-all, end-all...but by the same token I think it's a start and I think it's something we out to do and put in place."

Beatrice Police Chief Bruce Lang says violation of the local mask mandate which will be enforced, is a class-three misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to three months in jail, and up to a $500 fine.

"I don't think this should negatively impact any business having to close or reduce hours...or some of the things that are being done in other places."

Although the State of Nebraska is operating in the orange color-code zone on hospital bed availability, Beatrice Health Board members point out that the Public Health Solutions Health District is currently operating in the red. However, health districts are not authorized by the state to enact their own mandates.

With the holidays approaching, Beatrice Health Board members expressed no desire to place limits on private of family gatherings.