Editor鈥檚 note: This story was originally published by the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
A Madison County Board member says the lack of mask-wearing at county board meetings is inappropriate while COVID-19 is still spreading through the community.
County Board Democrat Michael 鈥淒oc鈥� Holliday asked the board Wednesday night why so few board members were wearing masks during meetings of the board, reminding them that the state still mandates them while indoors.
鈥淚t looks like we鈥檙e just in defiance of the whole idea of wearing masks,鈥� said Holliday, who asked county officials to add signs at entrances to county buildings as a reminder of the mandate.
As of Sept 3, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Executive Order 21-22 requiring all individuals overwhen in indoor public places. Madison County State鈥檚 Attorney Tom Haine said in August his office is not 鈥渨illing or able鈥� to enforce the mask mandate with criminal charges.
County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, who did not have his nose and mouth covered during the meeting, did not directly respond to Holliday, but said people are free to wear a mask if they鈥檇 like while in the county building.
鈥淚 see a number of officials that, as far as I can see, don鈥檛 have a mask on and I think that鈥檚 what it is Mr. Holliday,鈥� Prenzler said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 fine if people decide to wear a mask, that鈥檚 their choice, and you鈥檙e choosing to do that and I respect that.鈥�
Of the 23 board members present at the board meeting, Prenzler estimated 95% weren鈥檛 wearing masks.
鈥淚 think that people should have freedom to choose,鈥� Prenzler said in an interview Thursday. 鈥淪ome people are wearing masks and some people aren鈥檛. I think frankly people have lost track of all the edicts, it鈥檚 become too much to keep track of.鈥�
At the meeting, Holliday argued that the county board, which also serves as the Board of Health for the county, should be doing more to slow the spread of COVID-19. He said just recently he lost a close friend to the virus.
鈥淲e as a county board of health should be looking after all citizens of Madison County,鈥� Holliday said.
According to the most recent statistics reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health, , the second-lowest in the region just behind St. Clair County鈥檚 2.4%. A region鈥檚 positivity rate is calculated by comparing the number of positive tests with the number of total COVID-19 tests taken in a given time frame.
from Oct. 14-20, down from the 468 cases reported the prior week. The county, however, reported a big uptick in deaths from two from the week of Oct. 7-13 to 10 this past week.
As of Wednesday鈥檚 data, Madison County had reported 39,505 cases and 597 deaths since the pandemic began.
Prenzler pushing for drug cocktail treatment
Prenzler said the county has been pushing a treatment known as monoclonal antibody injection treatment. Former President Donald Trump was administered the treatment after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 last year and it has recently been
鈥淧robably the most important thing we鈥檝e done 鈥� if you鈥檝e been paying attention to the board of health 鈥� we have spoken up and publicly announced that a very important treatment is available,鈥� Prenzler said during the meeting.
The chairman has been calling monoclonal antibody injections a 鈥渓ife saving鈥� treatment for months.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been working hard to let people know about that,鈥� he said.
Prenzler said he鈥檚 not advocating the treatment be used as a preventative measure against COVID-19, nor is he calling on citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because, he says, it鈥檚 a personal choice.
He declined to say whether or not he was vaccinated against the virus, calling the question 鈥渋nappropriate.鈥�
Prenzler said he personally knows people who have received the monoclonal antibody injection treatment and said it saved their lives.
According to the World Health Organization, the monoclonal antibody treatment should be used on COVID-19 patients with a The WHO panel cited data that showed the treatment likely reduces the risk of hospitalization for patients who are likely to get much worse, including unvaccinated, immunocompromised and older individuals.
However, the WHO also reported that lower-risk patients with less serious symptoms were unlikely to have 鈥渕eaningful鈥� benefits from the therapy and warned of its demand could 鈥渆xacerbate health inequity and limited availability of the therapy鈥� for those who need it most.
The organization has urged Regeneron and Roche, two makers of the treatment, to reduce the price of the treatment and make it more widely available. According to Healthline, the cost of the Additionally, A doctor must approve the use of the treatment.
No action was taken by the board on mask-wearing after Holliday鈥檚 request.
Kavahn Mansouri is a reporter with the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
