As masks became a hotbed during the coronavirus, Cox urged people to “respect” their “peers” when restrictions eased.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Governor Spencer Cox is giving updates on the ongoing pandemic as his words are interpreted for the hearing impaired during a press conference in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 11, 2021.
With Utah’s masked mandate ending April 10, Gov. Spencer Cox urged residents to “act with respect for your fellow men” and told those who don’t want to wear masks not to be “crazy.” ”If a business maintains its restrictions.
“Don’t yell at the clerk; don’t yell at the store manager, ”he told a news conference on Thursday. “Don’t make fun of yourself because you don’t want to wear masks.”
“It’s not free for everyone,” Cox added later. “We live in a society. We should care about each other. And if you don’t care about other people, then don’t go where other people are. ”
He urged Utahns to consider their level of risk and said those who were not fully vaccinated at the end of the mask term should consider wearing a mask or not going out. He also urged people who may feel that a business is not doing enough to combat the spread of coronavirus and exercise patience.
[Read more: How the governor and lawmakers settled on April 10 to lift the statewide mask mandate]
“If you go into a restaurant and a meal is closer to yours than maybe what you think [it should be]”Don’t yell at the waitress and tell her you want people 6 feet away from you,” he said. “If you don’t feel comfortable going out and eating at a restaurant because you’re at risk, then eat.”
The new governor said he acknowledged that masks were a divisive issue. But he said that those who do not want to wear a mask should not make fun of people who continue to wear them, and those who do should not “gather” people who will not wear one.
Cox said Thursday that he does not “love the bill” recently passed by the state legislature, which will end its state-wide mask mandate early next month. He said he urged legislative leaders to give the state more time to vaccinate people before lifting it.
“I told them that look, every day we get 25,000, at least, new people get vaccinated and get closer to that immunity and the herd immunity we are working on, so we will take as many days as you can give us. , ”He recounted. “I arrived on April 10.”
Cox said he would sign the bill and said he anticipates COVID-19 vaccines will be available to every Utah adult by April 1.
The governor stressed on Thursday, in his weekly COVID meeting, that the mandate for the mask will not disappear completely next month and that people will continue to be required to wear masks at schools and in large gatherings with 50 or more people. Businesses may continue to require masks.
But some local business owners have already expressed concern that the end of the mask will lead to conflicts with their customers starting next month.
Matt Caputo, CEO of Caputo’s Deli, said in a recent video posted on social media that the mask’s mandate has lowered tensions with some customers in his business. And he urged the governor to veto the bill that puts an end to it, although lawmakers could then vote to overturn that veto.
Some Utahns and companies wanted to see essential workers or people who can’t do their homework, get vaccinated before the mask term ends. But Cox said Thursday that those workers will not receive special eligibility for the vaccine and that shootings will be opened at the same time as the general public.
“We are so close to the end,” Cox said. “We receive vaccines as much as possible. Please be kind to each other. Please be patient with each other. And to show people what an incredible place to live in Utah. ”