STARKVILLE — As COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise in Oktibbeha County, the board of supervisors is discussing new plans and policies to ensure the safety of residents.

The board unanimously approved a new policy for county employees regarding COVID sick days at their regularly scheduled board meeting Monday.

Once employees test positive for COVID-19, they are required to stay home 10 days and can return to work on the 11th day if no symptoms are present. They are allowed to stay home if symptoms still appear, but after the 15th day, employees must receive a doctor’s note specifying the employee is still showing symptoms.

All days off must be claimed as personal, medical or unpaid, County Administrator Delois Farmer told The Dispatch.

They are not required to present a negative test due to the fact the virus can present itself on a test far after it has left an individual’s body, OCH Regional Medical Center Accreditation Manager Savannah Brown advised the board.

“If I test positive today, I may still test positive in three months,” Brown said. “I would advise return on the 11th day with no fever for over 24 hours and symptoms must have reduced.”

While a mask mandate was discussed at Monday’s meeting, the board did not take any action in reinstating its mask ordinance.

District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said he would be in favor of re-establishing the mandate because cases are the highest they have ever been in the state and people continue to refuse the vaccination.

“Some of us are sitting up here at the table without a mask on,” Trainer said. “We’re in a leadership position. … We need to require masks to be worn because from what I can tell, the mask wearing is recommended.”

District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery said he would personally not mind requiring masks but believes it should apply to all individuals, not just the unvaccinated.

“If we’re going to make people wear masks, everybody is going to wear masks,” Montgomery said.

Even though no official ordinance is in place, private businesses and Oktibbeha County department heads can still require their employees to wear masks if they choose. District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller cited a Texas Supreme Court case from Sunday saying mask mandates interfere with personal rights and freedoms.

“People need to take responsibility for themselves,” Miller said. “Let businesses and department heads decide for themselves.”

Trainer suggested using COVID-19 relief assistance money the county received from federal aid on initiatives to encourage residents to get vaccinated. He said the intention of the money was to eradicate the virus in the county, and that is what the board should be using it for.

Board Attorney Rob Roberson said paying people to receive the vaccine is illegal, but he will research other ways to offer of monetary initiatives, like Mississippi State University’s weekly drawings for vaccinated students.

District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard said he does not believe initiatives will encourage people to get vaccinated and bring herd immunity to Oktibbeha County because everything surrounding COVID-19 has “become so political.”

“It’s real,” Howard said. “It’s just a toss-up if you get it which way you’re going to go with it. I want to do everything we can to encourage people … People are wanting to say ‘Did they have any underlying conditions?’ Well, if I’ve got an underlying condition, and you shoot me, and I die, I die because you shot me, not because of my underlying conditions.”