Hancock addresses issue of facial coverings in the county

December 10, 2020–3:18 p.m.

STAFF REPORTS

The City of Rome now has an emergency ordinance in place requiring facial coverings in public places when social distancing is not possible, but Floyd County is taking a different approach.

While not implementing a mask mandate, county officials are encouraging the wearing of facial coverings, according to Commissioner Scotty Hancock.

“We actually talked about this during our last meeting,” he said.  “We’ve asked Jamie [McCord] to go back and review our policies in county buildings, and not do a mandate, but to do a recommendation in all county-owned facilities to include our basketball.  We have basketball season coming up with youth sports.  The big thing we have been grappling with is how we are going to manage that.  We are going to have masks and we are going to give them out at the door.  Whether they choose to wear them or not, that’s going to be their choice.”

Hancock added that he wants there to be a press release from the Floyd County Commission recommending the wearing of masks.

“We want to reiterate the fact that we do wear masks,” he said.  “We are not anti-mask; it’s just very difficult on enforcement and being able to do it in rural parts of the county.   If I was a city commissioner, I would have done the same thing y’all [the city commission] did.  I applaud y’all for doing it.  I think you did the right thing.”

Hancock addressed the issue during Thursday’s city-county joint services committee meeting.

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