New health orders from the state have left some local residents confused about where masks should be worn, including school board members.
During the Board of Health meeting Wednesday, Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said the state is still requiring masks to be worn in schools.
Despite this, the North Union Board of Education voted Monday to make masks voluntary among staff and students.
Orcena said the recent public health order from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) that eased mask requirements explicitly requires facial coverings in some environments, including nursing homes and schools.
While some school boards, such as the one at North Union, voted to remove face mask policies, Orcena said they do not actually have the power to do so.
“They do not have the authority to overturn… a law they are supposed to be upholding as public officials,” he said.
Orcena noted that mask requirements in schools will be lifted on June 2, as determined by DeWine.
Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released guidance that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks indoors, Orcena said state officials made it clear that is not yet applicable to schools.
Individuals are considered “fully vaccinated” 14 days after receiving the final dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.
Since 12- to 15-year-olds became eligible to receive the vaccine last week, Orcena said no one in that age group is currently fully vaccinated and most will not be by June 2. No COVID-19 vaccine is approved yet for individuals under 12 years of age.
Orcena said the governor’s office even sent communication to Ohio superintendents advising them that masks must be required in school buildings and offices through June 2.
He said school officials who elect to remove their policies on mask requirements are acting in opposition to the governor, ODH and frequently against the legal guidance from attorneys representing the school district.
Orcena said the health department “fielded a number of phone calls” from North Union families and community members who are upset that UCHD “didn’t do more” to prevent the school board from voting on the mask order.
The health commissioner said he was present at the North Union board meeting during which the mask order was lifted. While “it was a respectful discussion,” he said the decision ultimately violates current law.
“I don’t begrudge them,” for their deliberations, Orcena said.
Still, he said the health department’s guidance is that any school board should adhere to the state orders that are in place.
“I cannot advise anyone to do anything but follow the law,” Orcena said.
Board member Tiffany Wood reiterated “our guidance is just to wait until June 2” to lift mask policies. Orcena agreed.
As June 2 approaches, Orcena said Union County is moving in a positive direction in regard to COVID-19 spread.
He said the current case rate is 33 per 100,000 which is a “tremendous drop-off.” Hospitalizations are also down from April.
“Our numbers are looking very, very good,” Orcena said.
He said decreased cases and hospitalizations are due in large part to a high percentage of Union County residents who have been vaccinated. As of last week, more than 23,000 vaccinations have been administered by the Union County Health Department.
He said DeWine’s Vax-A-Million campaign, which makes any vaccinated individual eligible to enter a drawing for $1 million dollars or a college scholarship, seems to have increased interest.
UCHD planned to administer 40 vaccines Thursday, May 13 but Orcena said “we saw a surge” and actually gave 120 shots. Likewise, vaccinations jumped to 260 Tuesday night compared to only 120-140 planned.
He said the majority of community members who are eligible have received the vaccine.
“That’s a great outcome at this point,” Orcena said.
He noted that he believes fully vaccinated individuals “should feel comfortable going back into the community.”
While some people are ready to do so, Orcena said others may choose to continue taking additional safety precautions.
“We have folks on both ends of the spectrum and we just have to respect that for a while,” he said.