Mayor wants permission to require face masks in Salt Lake County

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson wears a mask as Gary Edwards, health department executive director, discusses the county’s phased reopening plan on April 29, 2020. Wilson on Tuesday says she plans to ask the governor permission to require face masks be worn in Salt Lake County. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

‘It’s time we do more,’ Mayor Jenny Wilson says

SALT LAKE CITY — Amid a spike in Utah COVID-19 cases, the mayor of the state’s most population-dense county plans to ask the governor for permission to require face coverings.

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson told the Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday she plans to send a letter to Gov. Gary Herbert requesting permission to require Salt Lake County residents to wear face coverings while they’re out in public.

“It’s time we do more,” Wilson said, expressing deep concern about Utah’s “dramatic” spike in cases in recent days.

“The trend is not good,” the mayor said, adding that it’s apparent that some Utahns are wearing face coverings while others aren’t. “I think we’ve fallen into a state of complacency.”

Wilson said the county requirement would not mandate residents to wear masks while recreating outside or in parks, but would be required in retail or commercial establishments or any community gatherings.

Wilson and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, the Democratic mayors of Utah’s largest county and city, both took to Twitter earlier Tuesday to call on Herbert to require face coverings after state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn issued a memo warning of a potentially overwhelmed hospital system if the spike doesn’t level out by July 1.

“We are quickly getting to a point where the only viable option to manage spread and deaths will be a complete shutdown” Dunn wrote. “This might be our last chance for course correction. Contact tracing and testing alone will not control this outbreak.”

In her memo, Dunn wrote that if the state does not reach a rolling seven-day average of 200 cases per day by July 1, it needs to move back to orange or moderate risk, which would limit social gatherings to 20 while continuing to call for social distancing and wearing masks in public settings.

“This will send the message to Utahns that this outbreak continues to be a serious problem, and state leadership is committed to saving lives and preventing a complete economic shutdown,” she wrote.

Dunn also called for government or businesses to mandate wearing masks and recommended the state not ease social distancing restrictions anywhere in the state until July 1.

Herbert, in a tweet, thanked Dunn for her analysis and pledged state leaders will “work to stem this tide,” but said he has “no plans to shut down Utah’s economy.”

Referring to that tweet, Wilson responded: “Governor, required face coverings in public will go a long way. Let’s do that.”

Mendenhall also weighed in.

“Masks are estimated to be 75% to 82% effective at preventing the spread of COVID,” Mendenhall tweeted. “Requiring they be worn in public statewide could help us turn the tide and save lives, @GovHerbert.”

This story will be updated.

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