SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall urges companies to apply masks even after state term ends

Intermountain Healthcare says it will need masks after the state’s tenure ends on April 10.

The mask’s statewide tenure will end on April 10, but Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is asking local businesses to continue applying the masks until public health officials say it is prudent to do without it.

Mendenhall was joined by local business owners at a mask press conference on Friday. Standing in the mid-March sun outside Santo Taco, Mendenhall said spring was always a hopeful time, but it was especially encouraging now that the state sees the light at the end of the day. tunnel for the pandemic. She said she was grateful to Governor Spencer Cox for opening vaccinations to all people over 16 as of March 24.

Although Utah’s COVID numbers are improving as more people are vaccinated, the mayor said the community must continue to exercise caution. In addition to protecting lives, she said the masks help customers feel safe when attending businesses in Salt Lake City.

“The masks have been good for business and I don’t want to see this progress destroyed until we finish it,” she said.

Mendenhall said the April 10 end of the mask’s tenure is not a date chosen with health-based reasoning. She said Salt Lake City was investigating how long people should wear masks from health officials such as state epidemiologist Dr Angela Dunn.

Mendenhall said city lawyers are assessing whether the city can legally implement its own mask mandate. The option is “on the table,” but she said the city would look at health data first before making such a decision.

At the press conference, business owners said they want mask-wearing to continue as they attempt to get their frontline workers vaccinated.

Missy Greis, owner of Publik Coffee, said the masks work. She said Publik was fully masked and only had take out service. Five of 64 employees at its four facilities have had COVID, and none have contracted or transmitted COVID at work.

“Wear your masks a little longer, they work,” she says.

She said Cox knew it, but the Utah legislature obviously didn’t.

Mark Jensen of Harmons Grocery said he believes it will take another eight weeks to vaccinate all store associates. He said he doesn’t like masks either, but they’re a small price to pay for keeping people safe and keeping businesses open.

Jensen urged clients to heed Cox’s advice and not to “be a jerk” when sponsoring businesses. He asked people to remember that the associates at Harmons only do their jobs and deserve to be treated with respect.

Ricky Arriola of Break Bread Barber Co. said that as a business owner, community member and father, he asks everyone to do their part by masquerading until medical professionals say ‘it is prudent to do otherwise. He said clients and staff at his barbershop would remain fully masked.

All Intermountain Healthcare facilities will continue to require masks.

It needed face blankets at its facilities “long before any kind of state mandate,” said Eddie Stenehjem, infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare. “We did it because the masks protect patients, they protect caregivers and they protect visitors. Simply clear and simple.

And they will continue to impose masks “out of prudence … because we think it is our duty”.

Intermountain caregivers who work with patients or visitors will wear both intervention masks and eye protection. Employees who do not work with patients or visitors will continue to wear fabric masks. And masks will continue to be mandatory for patients and visitors.

Intermountain will monitor the conditions “and we will remove this when we deem it to be safe for everyone involved,” Stenehjem said.

He also recommended that the Utahns continue to wear masks even after the state’s tenure ends.

“I can tell you that I will wear a mask on April 11 and move forward,” Stenehjem said. “We know the masks work. We have seen many clinical trials. We have seen many observational studies that show the importance of a mask in reducing transmission. “

He urged people to continue to wear masks “when you’re around people and you can’t get away socially.”

“Absolutely, just put it on. It’s the only thing that costs nothing. It does not affect the community from an economic point of view. It keeps things open.

And it is necessary because, although the number of Utahn receiving vaccinations is increasing, Stenehjem warned that “the level of virus in our community is still at a high level.”

He also recommended that children continue to wear masks when playing with other children indoors. But that will change as the weather warms up and the kids play outside.

“I would say that in the not too distant future, they will probably be able to play without a mask,” Stenehjem said, “because when you are outside the inter-community transmission is low.”

He expressed optimism that the Utahns will wear masks even after the state’s mandate expires.

“I think masks have become kind of a social norm at this point,” Stenehjem said. “People are comfortable with it. When I leave, I take my phone, my keys and my mask. It has become standardized. … And so my recommendation would be to continue with a mask.