photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., is pictured on Sept. 23, 2021.

The Douglas County Commission at its meeting Wednesday is set to consider a new emergency health order requiring face masks at indoor events with more than 500 people in attendance, 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.

The proposed order, first announced Friday, would start Thursday if approved and remain in effect until March 9 unless otherwise rescinded or modified by county commissioners.

Meanwhile, the order that’s currently in effect, an indoor mask mandate for individuals age 2 and older, would expire after Wednesday.

The meeting agenda notes that Douglas County Health Officer Dr. Thomas Marcellino, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health staff and legal counsel will all be available to provide the commission with an update and be available for questions.

Commissioners will also consider approval of the county’s 2021 year-end budget transfers. A budget transfer involves moving money from a part of the budget where excess funds exist to another part where funds may be needed. Some transfers the commission is set to consider Wednesday include moving $1 million from the county’s general fund to its capital improvement program fund and moving money from the county’s Road and Bridge Fund for FEMA reimbursements.

Commissioners will meet 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.