Commissioners repeal restrictions on COVID-19

May 19—Face mask requirements and other restrictions related to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic have officially been repealed in Baldwin County.

The repeal of such mandates was approved unanimously by the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners during a special called meeting held Monday, May 10.

The decision ends a declaration of emergency that was enacted by county commissioners during the height of the pandemic, which struck Baldwin County in mid-March 2020.

Commissioners took the action in the wake of a decrease in the spread of the disease in recent weeks.

Commission Chairman Henry R. Craig said the most important part of the three-page resolution adopted earlier and now rescinded by commissioners was contained in the last paragraph, which he read aloud.

"Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Emergency Orders previously issued by this Board of Commissioners are hearby repealed along with the Ordinance of Aug. 24, 2020, prescribing the wearing of masks in the unincorporated areas of the county. In addition thereto, any and all other regulations of this board that are related to the personal conduct of our citizens as a result of COVID-19 are nearby repealed and rescinded. Any ordinance or resolution, or portion thereof, now in effect that is in conflict with any of the provisions of this resolution is nearby repealed."

Though commissioners have eased up on the restrictions, Craig emphasized that the situation is not over in Baldwin County.

"We still have significant COVID expansion in Baldwin County," Craig said.

He presented a video showing statistical data, as provided to county officials by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

"We're at 23 percent," Craig said, noting that neighboring Wilkinson County has a much better status than Baldwin County at this time. "And the state is in a little better status than Baldwin County."

Craig said there is more vaccine readily available than citizens interested in taking it.

"And that's very sad for us," he lamented. "The only way this is going to go away is for the majority of the people to take the vaccine and stop the spread of this terrible disease."

Craig said the county was in pretty good shape for the time being, but if residents don't continue to get vaccinated and increase those numbers from where they are today, the situation could easily go in the wrong direction again.

"So, I encourage everybody to look at this information on a regular basis and make your own decision about who you encourage to take the vaccine, and who you don't," Craig said. "There are those that should not take the vaccine and there are those that desperately need to take the vaccine to not only protect ourselves, but we protect our families, and we protect our neighbors."

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