With a lawsuit nonetheless pending over whether or not Douglas County Well being Director Dr. Lindsay Huse overstepped when she positioned a masks mandate on Omaha residents, Omaha’s Mayor is taking steps to insure a county well being director can by no means do it once more.At Mayor Jean Stothert’s request, Omaha Metropolis Council member Vinny Palermo has positioned the proposed ordinance on the Council agenda for an preliminary studying on March fifteenth.The proposal would make the Omaha Hearth Division’s Medical director the “Metropolis Particular Epidemic Well being Director” when wanted. The Metropolis Council must approve any Directed Well being Measure, like a masks mandate.The town contracts with UNMC Physicians for medical route companies at an annual value of $50,000.Present metropolis code offers powers to the Douglas County Well being Director to take actions as town’s well being director throughout a pandemic.Huse cited that authority when she enacted a masks mandate in January to step the surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. In asserting the brand new mandate in January, Huse mentioned “I can not stand by and never do all the things that we will. My integrity as a well being skilled, as a public well being skilled , can’t stand by and watch that occur. I can not watch and our hospitals cannot deal with an enormous surge of extra omicron instances.”Nebraska’s Division of Well being and Human Providers continues to problem Huse’s resolution in court docket, although the mandate itself has been dropped as a result of falling COVID-19 hospitalizations.”Selections that affect each citizen ought to be made by those that report back to the voters,” mentioned Stothert in a information launch. “These modifications add accountability by town’s elected management.”The Douglas County Well being Director is appointed by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. It isn’t an elected place.Dr. Huse was not out there for remark Monday on the proposed ordinance.A public listening to on the proposed ordinance is about for March twenty ninth.
With a lawsuit nonetheless pending over whether or not Douglas County Well being Director Dr. Lindsay Huse overstepped when she positioned a masks mandate on Omaha residents, Omaha’s Mayor is taking steps to insure a county well being director can by no means do it once more.
At Mayor Jean Stothert’s request, Omaha Metropolis Council member Vinny Palermo has positioned the proposed ordinance on the Council agenda for an preliminary studying on March fifteenth.
The proposal would make the Omaha Hearth Division’s Medical director the “Metropolis Particular Epidemic Well being Director” when wanted. The Metropolis Council must approve any Directed Well being Measure, like a masks mandate.
The town contracts with UNMC Physicians for medical route companies at an annual value of $50,000.
Present metropolis code offers powers to the Douglas County Well being Director to take actions as town’s well being director throughout a pandemic.
Huse cited that authority when she enacted a masks mandate in January to step the surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
In asserting the brand new mandate in January, Huse mentioned “I can not stand by and never do all the things that we will. My integrity as a well being skilled, as a public well being skilled , can’t stand by and watch that occur. I can not watch and our hospitals cannot deal with an enormous surge of extra omicron instances.”
Nebraska’s Division of Well being and Human Providers continues to problem Huse’s resolution in court docket, although the mandate itself has been dropped as a result of falling COVID-19 hospitalizations.
“Selections that affect each citizen ought to be made by those that report back to the voters,” mentioned Stothert in a information launch. “These modifications add accountability by town’s elected management.”
The Douglas County Well being Director is appointed by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. It isn’t an elected place.
Dr. Huse was not out there for remark Monday on the proposed ordinance.
A public listening to on the proposed ordinance is about for March twenty ninth.
