Moscow City Council unanimously voted Monday night to extend the city’s public health emergency order requiring face masks until Aug. 4.
The order dictates face coverings must be worn in public when a physical distance of six feet can’t be maintained from non-household members. The order does not apply to those younger than five years old, people with physical or mental health conditions and disabilities which would prevent wearing a face covering and incarcerated individuals.
Mayor Bill Lambert allowed an extra 15 minutes in addition to the public comment period regularly scheduled at the beginning of council meetings for the public to voice their thoughts before the council voted on whether to extend the order. Lambert allowed no more than three minutes per person. Adding extra time to the public comment period is not a common occurrence.
Several community members opposed the mask order, suggesting COVID-19 isn’t as serious as public health officials are portraying. Others said wearing masks raises their anxiety levels.
“Masks dehumanize and deface us. They evoke fear,” resident Heidi Scheibe said. “When I’m out at the grocery store, you can see the fear in people’s faces. They’re like, ‘oh my gosh, this disease is back, its everywhere and everyone’s suspect.’”
After the public comment period, Lambert defended the mask requirement, saying he’d received hundreds of emails from residents, the vast majority in support of the emergency order.
“This is not a violation of your constitutional rights,” Lambert said. “We’re fortunate we haven’t overrun our medical facilities with people in beds.”
When asked about the mandate’s impact on local businesses, Lambert noted both Moscow and Pullman will see a large influx of students next month.
“We don’t take this lightly. If we have a panic with COVID-19 and these universities close back up and do virtual training and those 30,000 kids leave – think about what that’s going to do to the business community,” Lambert said. “I will do whatever I can to prevent that from happening, because it’s too important to our local economy and the folks who live here.”
Councilor Sandra Kelly asked about the details of face covering requirements. City Supervisor Gary Riedner said masks can come in many different types and materials, but the city does not have specific requirements for materials or styles.
“We have some proposed language if the council decides it wants to define face masks,” Riedner said. “As Gov. Little likes to say, ‘A good dose of Idaho common sense should dictate a face mask will stop particles from coming out of your mouth when you exhale or cough.’”
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermooo