Thank you Harvey county Commission. It was a tough decision to make. I want to encourage everyone to do everything you can to keep transmissions down. Wash hands and wash again. Get plenty of Vitamin D and C. Clean surfaces. Be polite with businesses that require masks as it is their right to do so. Stay local as much as possible. Enjoy your freedom but also remember your responsibilities to do your best.

This is very disappointing, but at least businesses have the right to require them. Compile a list of businesses that require masks and give them all of your business. Those are the businesses that you can safely enter. When out in public, be safe and distance from people who aren’t wearing masks.

Interesting that the vast majority of people contacting them WANTED them to uphold the Governor's order, yet they voted not to anyway. I hope they understand that their voters who spoke were not represented well.

This is very disappointing. I would really like to be back in school in Aug. but if people aren’t willing to take simple precautions such as wearing a mask I fear further restrictions will be necessary later.

Cool, I’ll make sure to vote y’all out and remember how little you guys cared about the vulnerable population here in Harvey county.

I have to wear a mask to serve people yet I can be with a ton of people with no masks. That does ME no good. What a foolish move. I'm high risk trying to make a living and where are MY PROTECTIONS?? you failed the thousands of people that need the extra protection!

The population of Harvey County is approximately 34,000. There have been 42 cases in Harvey County so far. That is less than a hundredth of a percent. All without the mandating of masks.

Thank you Commissioners. I appreciate you allowing us to make our own decisions regarding our safety and whether or not we wear a mask. I applaud your decision.

I understand that making a mask-wearing ordinance creates massive problems and appreciate the statement encouraging mask wearing. However, I would like to see the county take steps beyond expressing support for mask-wearing, including educating, publicly promoting, or incentivizing. There's 100 years of medical evidence that mask-wearing reduces the transmission of air-borne pathogens and coupled with social distancing is the only currently available method for helping our community minimize COVID-19. Please do more.

Very disappointing decision. Will hurt the health and economy of our county. Be safe everyone.

I don’t agree, but I’m not surprised. So why? Working on herd immunity or trying to thin out the senior population? Poor decision, Harvey County.

Thank you commissioners for the hard decision you had to make today. I know you value everyone's life and want to keep everyone safe.

Thank you Commissioners. I will not be going to any business that requires a mask.

Thank you commissioners for the decision you have made!!

I'm disappointed in this decision. Surprised it can't stand statewide and communities can decide compliance.

Our numbers are climbing, very disappointed with this decision. We want to get our lives/ jobs back, the best way to do that is to stop the spread.

okay the whole country “hoped” people would make the right choice but they don’t, so thats why it was made mandatory

Thanks to the commissioners for listening, and being reasonable.

Don’t matter state overrides county, hopefully businesses will force people to wear them or refuse service

I would like to THANK the commissioners. Our county has many residents and many charities that house people for whom the mask is too much. Thank you for considering the silent victims as well as the not so silent majority. Everyone is free to wear the mask if they want and they are free to social distancing. It is a choice. (I, as well as my children are immune compromised, we wear a mask when needed. We appreciate when others wear masks, but do not expect them to do so.)

This is profoundly disturbing. Why, if you believe the best thing for your public to do is wear a mask, why wouldn’t you require it. Nobody expects you to have your police stand out on the street and enforce it. Your business owners are in more danger bc the people not wanting to wear masks in their stores or offices now have your votes on their side. Incredibly reckless and thoughtless.

Good job.... And least some counties have some common sense!!

Thank you Commissioners for making the correct decision.

We knew it wasn't enforceable, what we need now is a list of businesses that won't allow people in without a mask. Newton Walmart Manager Aaron said masks are required for entry starting tomorrow. Any others?

I think that if you catch the covid-19 in newton. Because our commissioners decided to vote to not enforce the governor's order. Then the people can sue the county for the medical Bill's from the care needed to be cured from the covid-19. And I think that we need to replace those commissioners for being stupid. For not trying to help to get our active cases back to 0 instead of 42 as of this afternoon .