SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson is uncomfortable with giving up the state-wide mask mandate in about a month.
Speaking Monday and morning with Dave and Dujanovic of KSL NewsRadio, Mayor Wilson explained that her concern is for teenagers, children and others who may still be unvaccinated.
“If we were to go to senior housing now or to an area that had primarily people over the age of 70, we would be with that immunity of the herd in that setting,” she said. “It’s a very different story for the rest of us. It’s definitely not April 10, in my opinion.”
The comments come after a bill was passed on the last day of the state legislature, which sets the state-wide mask mandate to expire by April 10th.
In addition, it allows the release of other restrictions as the various vaccine values, case rate and ICU values are met.
Making room for “best judgment”
Wilson claims that April 10 is too early to remove the mandate. In his view, the state should wait for the rates of COVID-19 cases to fall even less before giving up the mask mandate.
“What we need is to see these cases continue to decline,” she said. “It will be the right time to take off our masks.”
In her opinion, instead of rushing to take off her masks in public, the next few months should be about trusting Utahns to make smart judgments.
“With our own personal interactions, with our friends and family, we can be smart,” Wilson said. “We can look at who was vaccinated (and) who wasn’t. If we have to protect someone, (we can) stay a little away.”
It was announced on Thursday by Governor Spencer Cox that six counties in Utah, including Salt Lake County, were in the “moderate” phase of transmitting the virus. Counties in this phase have no collection restrictions, as long as individuals wear masks.