Chatham County Roundup: Continuing to Adapt

Join Aaron Keck every Tuesday afternoon for Chatham County Roundup, a recurring series that shines the spotlight on Chatham County through engaging discussions and interviews with locals, newsmakers, officials and more.

This week on Chatham County Roundup, join Aaron Keck for a conversation with county commissioner Karen Howard on the continuing effects of COVID-19, and how Chatham County is adapting in the face of pandemic-driven change.

“We’re still seeing numbers go up, which is a concern across the board, across the region,” said Howard. “… Our health board met and passed on a resolution to our board requiring that people wear masks at government spaces and urging that people wear them in public — which I think those, you know, go some way.”

As discussions continue on measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, practices and procedures with public interest in mind, parallel conversations on how exactly to implement these strategies is also taking place.

“Of course, our board will have to have a conversation, hopefully not waiting until our next board meeting, which isn’t until mid-July,” said Howard. “But I think, given the kinds of numbers we’re seeing, the spread in the community and the spread in the region, we really should be looking at a mandatory mask-wearing. … We know that the places that have had the most success and in flattening the curve, but also reducing the number of infections, have gone a little farther than we are right now. So I’m very hopeful. I think the general consensus on our board is that we need to do something more to protect the public.”

Listen below for the full conversation, and tune in weekly for conversations about Chatham County happenings, people, news and more.