County Commissioners Clear Confusion About Monday’s Mask Requirement That Went Into Effect For County Owned Buildings Only

DOWNTOWN ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Effective this past Monday, a mask requirement for all county buildings has stirred up a lot of confusion in individuals and businesses in the community.

The decision to require masks in all county buildings was based on the county’s own agency’s recommendations given the increasing cases of COVID-19 infections and Muskingum County Healthcare infrastructure being stretched thin.

“After hearing the last couple of weeks, the reports from our healthcare officials, the commissioners did decide to issue a requirement for masks in all county buildings. We did realize this is one of the best practices, that vaccinations, masks, social distancing will help in curbing the spread of the virus,” Molly Crooks, president of the County Commissioners stated.

This requirement applies only to all buildings owned by the county, and not all buildings within the county. This is a distinction the county commissioners want to make clear.

“We would like to clarify for everyone that the requirement for masks is in all county owned buildings. So any building that the county owns, the masks will be required. However, we are hoping that other schools, businesses, organizations, will also look at and take our lead to have more of a requirement and encouragement for mask wearing,” Crooks said.

The county commissioners hope that other organizations follow suit to help reduce COVID-19 spread and ease the strain on our communities’ hospitals.