The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors approved requiring the public to wear face masks when visiting the courthouse effective Wednesday.

Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber gave the Board an update on how COVID-19 is affecting the area during their meeting Tuesday, stating that as of that morning the county has 109 positive cases with 49 of them active. This is an increase of 30 cases from a week ago, as Arber stated they are seeing an uptick. Arber explained that face masks don’t need to be worn all the time by the public, but are important when faced with being within six feet of other people. He explained how masks keep nasal and oral droplets to yourself from spreading to others, and are especially effective when all individuals in close contact are wearing them. Supervisors Mike Dickson and Cliff Carney expressed that they don’t fully agree with wearing face masks, but they are afraid of what liability issues could arise if a county employee tested positive for the virus. The Supervisors approved the new requirement, and mentioned that some face masks would be provided at the courthouse entrance for those who don’t have one.