Face to face: Dougherty County Commission ditches plastic shields, seat markers

Oct. 31—ALBANY — The meeting room for Monday's Dougherty County Commission meeting had a distinctly different look.

After more than two years of being a presence in the room, the plastic shields that surrounded each commissioner on three sides, often referred to by Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas as "penalty boxes," were gone.

The plastic seat coverings that reminded members of the public not to sit too close also were removed, those developments coming as the result of a unanimous decision made a few weeks ago.

The shields and seat coverings were another sign of a return to normalcy coming months after facemasks were made optional at county meetings and inside the downtown Government Center facility.

"I think we're fine, given the reduction of COVID, given there's less spread," Commissioner Gloria Gaines said of removing the barriers. "You worry about the efficacy of the cages. They made us feel good, but I don't know how much good they did."

On Tuesday there were five COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Phoebe Putney Health System facilities, all of whom were in Albany.

Influenza numbers have spiked since the arrival of flu season, especially in the past two weeks, however. Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also have been on the rise.

"I still have my mask," Gaines said. "There are other viruses out there."

Commissioner Anthony Jones, the only member of the board still wearing a mask to meetings, said the decision to remove the barriers was "not a problem."

"I know I need to wear my mask and do what's best for me," he said.