Boise Mayor McLean announces end of city’s COVID mask mandate after new CDC guidance
Visitors of Boise city buildings and events will no longer be required to wear a face mask starting Monday.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean announced Friday that she will lift the requirement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new map showing counties in the Treasure Valley have moved down from “high” community risk of COVID-19 spread to the “medium” risk category.
“COVID-19 numbers are down and staying down, which means I can make this change,” McLean said in a news release. “We didn’t get here by accident. I’d like to thank everyone who was willing to think of their community, maintain physical distancing, and simply put on a mask when going into a public building. Together, we helped make this a safer and healthier city for everyone.”
Residents of counties in the “medium” risk category are urged to talk to their health care provider about wearing a mask if they are at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness. Others no longer are subject to a mask recommendation, according to the new CDC guidance.
Boise’s mask requirement indoors has been in place since late July 2021. The city first implemented its mask mandate in July 2020 and lifted it in May 2021, after the CDC issued new recommendations that said it was safe for those vaccinated against COVID-19 to go maskless in most indoor settings.
Recent guidance from the CDC aligns with this latest move. Only south-central Idaho counties (Twin Falls, Cassia, Minidoka, Lincoln, Jerome and Gooding) remain at the “high” community risk level, which means all residents are recommended to wear a mask indoors, in addition to getting vaccinated and getting tested if symptoms are present.
Here are Boise’s updated COVID-19 safety policies:
Face masks are optional in city facilities, which include: Boise City Hall, City Hall West, the Boise Public Library, branch libraries, recreation facilities, water renewal facilities and city office buildings.
Masks are still required at Boise Airport due to federal guidelines.
Physical distancing requirements are no longer in effect.
Gathering size limitations are no longer in effect.
COVID-19 special event requirements are no longer required.
The CDC changed its method for calculating risk levels last month. Previous mask guidance was based on COVID-19 transmission levels. The new guidance includes the number of hospital beds in use and hospital admissions.
In recent weeks, hospitalizations, case rates and test positivity levels have all decreased.
Health officials say vaccination rates can help reduce risk levels. Around 53.9% of Idaho residents 5 or older are fully vaccinated, one of the lowest vaccination rates of any U.S. state, according to state data. Around 44% of fully vaccinated Idahoans 12 or older have received a booster dose.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 10:55 AM.
