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Douglas County leaders will soon consider a health order that would require children who are not yet eligible for vaccination to wear a mask while indoors.

As part of their meeting Wednesday, Douglas County commissioners will consider a health order requiring children ages 2 to 12 to wear masks while in indoor public spaces, with some exceptions. If approved by the commission, the order would begin at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday and remain in effect through Sept. 22 unless otherwise rescinded or modified by the commission.

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases and the beginning of the school year, commissioners voiced interest in a potential mask requirement for children ages 2 to 12 in a discussion with public health leaders last week, as the Journal-World reported. Commissioners expressed concerns that not all school districts in Douglas County were requiring masks and told health leaders they would be supportive of a health order requiring masks for children ages 2 to 12 in public, which would include schools.

Commissioners specified that age group because it represents children who are recommended to wear masks and who are also not eligible for vaccination. The Lawrence school district announced last month that it would require masks this school year, but other districts in the county are not requiring masks.

Several parents from the Baldwin City school district have expressed concern to the commission that their district was not doing so. The Eudora school district is also not currently requiring masks, but will require them for students and staff for a 14-day period if the active COVID-19 case number in any school exceeds 2% of its total building population, according to the Eudora school district website.

The proposed health order requires children ages 2 to 12 — starting the day they turn 2 until the day before they turn 12 — to cover their nose and mouth with a face mask or other face covering when they are within any indoor public space or in line to enter such a space. Masks are also required in health care settings and when waiting for or riding public transportation. That includes a school bus, taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle.

The health order includes the following exceptions:

• Youth with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering – this includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance;

• Youth who are deaf or hard of hearing, or communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;

• Youth who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;

• Youth engaged in religious services, ceremonies or activities;

• Youth who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking;

• Youth engaged in any lawful activity during which wearing a mask or other face covering is prohibited by law.

The County Commission will convene at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Residents can participate in the meeting in person, virtually or via phone, and more information about those options is available at douglascountyks.org/commission/meetings.