photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.

The Douglas County Commission will consider a new emergency public health order during its meeting on Wednesday. The new order would require individuals to wear face coverings at indoor gatherings in which 500 or more individuals are in attendance in a single space, such as a concert, sporting event, trade show or convention.

Local health officers, with support from Douglas County Unified Command leaders, are recommending the new order specific to large crowds to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Douglas County where cases and hospitalizations continue to be high, putting a strain on staffing in schools and the health care system.

As of Friday, 4,157 active COVID-19 cases have been reported in Douglas County, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health. That’s nearly seven times higher than one year ago when there were 612 active cases reported on Feb. 4, 2021. The 14-day moving average for new cases is at 193 cases per day, compared to 27 cases per day one year ago.

If approved, the public health order would start Feb. 10 and remain in effect until March 9 unless otherwise rescinded or modified by county commissioners. The current order, which requires face masks inside all public spaces in Douglas County, would expire.

Exemptions under the new public health order would apply to children 2 and younger; people with medical conditions, mental health conditions or disabilities that prevent wearing a face covering; people who are deaf or hard of hearing; people engaged in religious services, ceremonies or activities; people who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment offering food or beverages while they are actively eating or drinking; and people engaged in a court-related proceeding.

Commissioners will discuss the public health order during their meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Those who attend at the courthouse will be required to wear a face mask. The meeting also will be available by Zoom. For meeting information, visit the county’s website: dgcoks.org/commissionmeetings.