Boise ends outdoors mask requirement. But don’t throw that mask away just yet
Boise will lift its requirement to wear masks outside, Mayor Lauren McLean said Wednesday.
The move follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which announced Tuesday that it was no longer necessary for fully vaccinated people to wear masks outside all the time.
The CDC guidelines say people who are two weeks past their final vaccine dose can “start doing many of the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” including being outside without a mask except in crowded events, such as at concerts or sporting events.
“We’re still requiring them indoors after consultation with our hospitals, and also because we want to make sure that we continue to protect employees and businesses that are open for business,” McLean said at a news conference. “It’s to provide clarity for folks in terms of expectations when we walk into establishments.”
She said the Idaho city is looking to residents “to make responsible decisions” around when to wear a mask outside.
She said the new order would go into effect Wednesday night and would be effective for 30 days, as past orders have been. Officials will revisit the order when it nears expiration. McLean said the entire remaining mask order could be canceled before long.
“The more people we see vaccinated, the more easily and readily we’ll be” able to make changes, McLean said. “I think it’s going to be soon that we’ll be able to lift it overall.”
Meanwhile, the order still requires people to wear masks in public indoor spaces such as stores, other buildings and rideshares, and to get the blessing of the Central District Health Department to hold gatherings of 50 or more people. Access to the city-run Boise Airport is still restricted to people who are flying or anyone supporting those flying.
Central District Health said Tuesday that it expected to ease its outdoor mask advisory this week.
The advisory recommends that you cover your nose and mouth whenever you’re around others if 6-foot social distancing cannot be maintained. It also recommends that you avoid indoor social gatherings with those not in your immediate household. That applies to people in Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties.
Idaho has never had a statewide mask order. Gov. Brad Little, however, continually encouraged Idahoans to wear them — they are “strongly recommended” in the governor’s health guidelines and required at long-term care facilities.
Businesses can still require them. In Boise, a business can request help from police if a customer refuses to wear a mask. Customers who don’t risk trespassing charges — although according to the city’s enforcement dashboard, which has not been updated for a month, no one has been cited since December.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 3:19 PM.
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