Face masks now required in four Idaho cities. Will others follow as COVID-19 spreads?
Moscow became the first city in Idaho to require the use of face masks in public Tuesday. Hailey, McCall and Driggs followed soon after this week with orders mandating masks.
Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert made face masks mandatory as part of a public health emergency order. It will go into effect Thursday and requires a mask in indoor or outdoor public areas where 6 feet of social distancing isn’t possible.
Violating the order is a misdemeanor and comes with a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Lambert cited Idaho’s surge in new COVID-19 cases as the reason for the requirement in a press release. The state has added 40% of its new confirmed cases in the past seven days. It set a record with 472 new cases Monday, then followed it with 289 cases Tuesday, the second-most in a single day.
Latah County, home to Moscow, has also watched its cases double from eight to 16 in the past nine days as of Tuesday evening.
“In light of current cases and a trend towards a significant resurgence of COVID-19 infections and exposure in Moscow, it is prudent to assess the public health risks to the community as a whole,” Lambert said in a news release.
Moscow’s order also requires 6 feet of physical distancing in public between non-household members, whenever possible.
Exemptions to the order include children under 5 years old; individuals with a medical condition, mental health condition or disability that prevents wearing a mask; and those in jail or prison.
It also allows individuals to take off their mask when eating in a restaurant 6 feet from others.
On Tuesday night, the Hailey City Council passed an emergency order requiring people to “cover their nose and mouth, when members of the public are physically present for otherwise unprotected social interaction,” according to the order. The council unanimously voted to approve the emergency order, according to the Idaho Mountain Express.
The order does allow for some exceptions. For example, those in restaurants or other eateries who are 6 feet away from others do not need to wear masks. Anyone found in violation of the order could potentially face a $100 fine.
McCall City Council passed a similar order Wednesday night. As of Thursday, July 2, masks will be required in public spaces — with a few exceptions. Children younger than 5, people who can’t “medically tolerate” a face covering or are hearing impaired, and people socially distanced in the outdoors, eating in restaurants with members of their own households, or exercising indoors at a distance from others are exempt.
City officials chose mandatory masks to help businesses stay open for the Fourth of July weekend and summer while protecting the health and safety of the public, according to a city press release.
In the resolution, city officials cited McCall’s popularity as a tourist destination and the fate of similar spots like Sun Valley, which became an early coronavirus hot spot. City spokeswoman Erin Greaves told the Statesman that the new mandate was instituted almost immediately to give the influx of visitors enough time to plan.
“Visitors need to know, that as they make their plans to enjoy McCall over the Fourth ... this new mandate is in place and it begins tonight at midnight,” reads a Wednesday night press release from the city of McCall. “Officials are taking it very seriously and look to local law enforcement and city hall staff to educate the public.”
Violators of the order could incur an infraction and a $100 fine.
On Thursday, the Teton County town of Driggs in far-eastern Idaho passed its own emergency order that mandated anyone in a public place — both indoor or outdoor — must cover their nose and mouth with a mask.
Like McCall’s order, those with certain medical exceptions, people eating at restaurants and those exercising outdoors at a distance are exempt. The Driggs order also requires short-term lodging providers — hotels, Airbnbs and similar rentals — to notify guests of the mask requirement prior to and upon arrival.
The order goes into effect starting at 12:01 Friday morning, and it will expire after seven days unless renewed by city officials.
Those who violate the Driggs order are guilty of an infraction and are subject to a $100 fine, according to the order. Refusal to comply with the order could result in a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct or trespass if someone refuses to leave an area.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little held the state in Stage 4 of Idaho’s reopening plan last week amid the surge in new coronavirus cases. But he has repeatedly declined to join the growing list of states that require face masks in public.
As of Tuesday evening, 18 states require the public to wear face masks in one form or another, including neighboring Oregon and Nevada, according to CNN. Nevada requires a mask in any public space. Oregon requires a mask in all indoor public spaces.
“I do not want to have to close down businesses again like other states are now doing,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement Monday. “If you want your local shops and restaurants to stay open, then wear a face covering when out in public.”
Idaho has instead encouraged the use of masks. It started a social media campaign, #MaskUpIdaho, last week to help convince citizens to use face masks. Central District Health has considered requiring masks, while Boise Mayor Lauren McLean hasn’t ruled it out. But neither has committed to it.
Moscow is home to the University of Idaho. It was not immediately evident how the city’s order would affect the Vandals’ plan to reopen their campus in August for the fall semester.
Reporters Jacob Scholl and Nicole Foy contributed to this article.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 8:30 PM.
