Weber County Leaders Postpone Immediate Action on Masks to Investigate Problem | News, Sports, Jobs

OGDEN – There will be no mask warrant for children in Weber and Morgan counties, at least for now.

But county commissioners in each county will discuss the matter with Weber-Morgan Health Service Director Brian Cowan then presents his findings to the Weber-Morgan Board of Health when the review is complete, and possibly recommends a course of action.

Courts in Weber County are starting, but officials, who set the course for Monday, have set no specific timeline for follow-up action, although commissioners can begin their deliberations as early as August 30. The first day of class for Ogden students was Friday, while classes in the Weber School District begin Wednesday.

The delicate issue of masks in schools to guard against the spread of the COVID-19 virus was raised at Monday’s Weber-Morgan Board of Health meeting, drawing public comment from both those in the process. favor some sort of mask rule and those who oppose it. Only 15 members of the public addressed the board members, following guidelines set by officials from the Ministry of Health. Ten expressed opposition to a warrant while five said they were in favor of some sort of rule.

Outside the meeting room, a crowd gathered, unable to enter due to social distancing rules inside the room where Monday’s meeting was held. Either way, while the issue sparked heated debate in some places, the meeting in Ogden proceeded in relative calm.

Some enemies of the Mandate were holding signs in the boardroom reading, “Let us choose” while others outside sang the national anthem twice.

The arguments presented by the audience echoed comments made as the debate unfolded nationally at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Supporters of the mandate cited the vulnerability of children to COVID-19, since only those 12 and older can be vaccinated, and the import of masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

“School districts in other states that have opened without masks have already seen a sharp increase in cases,” said Davis Lesser, physician and husband of Utah Representative Rosemary Lesser. The delta variant of the virus, the root of most recent cases, is more contagious than the original virus.

Meanwhile, enemies have questioned the value of masks in preventing the spread of the virus and have described the problem as a matter of personal freedoms. According to some, the wearing of masks by children should belong to parents and not to a government entity.

Cindy Whinham, a retired teacher from Roy, said the ability to see faces and facial cues is important in a school setting. “I need to see the faces of my students when I am in class” she said.

Meanwhile, Amy Carter, epidemiology and communicable disease nurse in the health department, told the council there were more cases among school-aged children now than at this time last year. As schools begin, she warned of a “considerably higher” number of cases this year and more hospitalizations and deaths.

The decision by the 13-appointed Weber-Morgan Board of Health to direct county commissioners to address the issue in consultation with Cowan came at the end of Monday’s meeting. It was guided, in part, by state legislation putting more authority on the issue of masks in the hands of elected leaders.

Members of the Board of Health have expressed various opinions on the matter.

Gage Froerer, Weber County commissioner and board member, expressed reservations about the imposition of a term. “I take the right of citizens to self-determination very seriously” he said. He said he’s a steadfast believer “In personal choice.

Froerer brought forward the motion ultimately approved by the board to allow Weber and Morgan County Commissioners to consider the matter and come up with a possible course of action.

Bonnie Wahlen, another board member, expressed support for the use of the mask, but not necessarily a mandate. “The masks will ensure the safety of our children” she said.

Cowan has expressed reservations about imposing an immediate mask warrant, with schools just starting. He said he would favor an approach similar to Summit County.

The plan there, which went into effect last Saturday, says the face covering would be necessary if the 14-day COVID-19 positivity rate among students, staff and faculty at any elementary school reaches 2%. The rule does not apply to colleges or high schools.

Leaders in Grand County in southern Utah have approved a mask mandate for the students, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Erin Mendenhall, Mayor of Salt Lake City last friday said it would issue a mask warrant for the city’s schools from kindergarten to grade 12.

Salt Lake County Health Director Angela Dunn issued a mask warrant in Salt Lake County earlier this month, but the county council later voted 6-3 to overturn it .

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