Reading the emails and posts I receive from the citizens of Polk County I want to make sure there is clarity in where we stand on the issue of masks. As we stated in the proclamation this week we believe the CDC guidelines should be followed as best one can. This means social distancing, sanitation, and masks. We have not made masks a mandate for several reasons. One is we believe people will make the right decisions on this issue without government intervention. Second, we do not want to subject our police force to policing the mask issue and therefore infect our police force to the detriment of the community. Third, there are some people who have issues that prevent them from wearing masks. Fourth, there will be lawsuits. Fifth, this is a long term problem that we as a society need to adjust to. People will adjust as the infection rates go up and down. We don’t need the BOCC to meet every time we have an increase or decrease and adjust public policy. We need policy that endures. Dr Jackson believes we are in a 3 year cycle of corona virus.