SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall asks companies to enforce masks even after state mandate ends

Intermountain Healthcare says it will need masks after its state mandate expires on April 10.

The statewide mask mandate expires on April 10, but Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is asking local businesses to keep enforcing masks until public health officials say it’s safe to go without them.

Mendenhall was joined by local entrepreneurs at a press conference on masks on Friday. Standing in the mid-March sun outside Santo Taco, Mendenhall said spring is always a hopeful time, but it’s especially hopeful as the state sees the light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic. She said she is grateful to Governor Spencer Cox for opening up vaccinations to anyone over the age of 16 from March 24.

While COVID numbers in Utah are improving as more and more people are vaccinated, the mayor said the community should remain cautious. In addition to protecting lives, she said masks help customers feel safe patronizing Salt Lake City businesses.

“Masks have been good for business and I don’t want that progress to be destroyed until we’re all through it,” she said.

Mendenhall said the end of the April 10 mask mandate is not a date selected for health-related reasons. She said Salt Lake City is seeking clues for how long people should wear masks from health authorities such as state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.

Mendenhall said the city’s lawyers are evaluating 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 before making such a decision.

Business owners said at the press conference they want mask wearing to continue while they try to get their front-line workers vaccinated.

Missy Greis, owner of Publik Coffee, said masks work. She said Publik is completely masked and has only had takeout service. Five of the 64 employees at its four sites have had COVID, and none of them contracted or passed it on at work.

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

She said Cox knows this, but the Utah legislature apparently doesn’t.

Mark Jensen of Harmons Grocery said he thinks it will take another eight weeks to vaccinate all of the store’s employees. He said he doesn’t like masks either, but they have to pay a small price to keep people safe and businesses open.

Jensen asked clients to take Cox’s advice and not be “an asshole” when patronizing companies. He asked that people remember that employees at Harmons just 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 masking until health care professionals say it’s safe to do otherwise. He said that customers and staff in his barber shop will remain completely masked.

All Intermountain Healthcare facilities will continue to require masks.

It required face coverings in its facilities “well for any kind of state mandate,” said Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare. “We did it because masks protect patients, protect caregivers and protect visitors. Just plain and simple. “

And they will continue to prescribe masks “out of an abundance of caution … because we feel it is our duty.”

Intermountain caregivers who work with patients or visitors wear both procedure masks and eye protection. Employees who are not working with patients or visitors will continue to wear cloth masks. And masks remain mandatory for both patients and visitors.

Intermountain will monitor the conditions “and we will withdraw that if we deem it safe for everyone involved,” said Stenehjem.

He also recommended that Utahns continue to wear masks even after the state mandate expires.

“I can tell you that on April 11th, I’m going to wear a mask and move on,” said Stenehjem. ‘We know that masks work. We have seen many clinical studies. We have seen many observational studies showing the importance of a mask in reducing transmission. “

He urged people to keep wearing masks “when you are around people and you cannot keep a social distance”.

‘Absolutely, just put it on. It’s the only thing that doesn’t cost anything. It does not affect the community in terms of an economic point of view. It keeps things open. “

And it is necessary because, while the number of Utahns receiving vaccinations is on the rise, Stenehjem warned that “the virus level 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 gets warmer and children play outside.

“I’d say they could probably play without masks in the not-too-distant future,” said Stenehjem, “because when you’re outside, the intercommunal transmission is low.”

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

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