SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall asks companies to apply the masks even after the end of the state mandate

Intermountain Healthcare says it will require masks after the end of the state mandate on April 10.

The state-wide mask mandate will end on April 10, but Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is asking local companies to continue applying the masks until public health officials say it is safe to be without them.

Mendenhall was accompanied by local businesspeople at a mask press conference on Friday. Standing in the mid-March sun outside Santo Taco, Mendenhall said that spring is always a time of hope, but it is especially hopeful now, 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 the vaccination for everyone over 16 as of March 24.

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

“The masks have been good for business and I don’t want to see that progress destroyed before we reach the end,” she said.

Mendenhall said the end of the mask’s term on April 10 is not a date selected based on health-based reasoning. She said Salt Lake City is seeking guidance on how long people should wear masks from health officials, such as state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.

Mendenhall said the city’s lawyers are evaluating whether the city can legally implement its own masking mandate. The option is “on the table”, but she said the city would first analyze health data before making such a decision.

Business owners at the news conference said they wanted to continue wearing the mask while trying to vaccinate their frontline employees.

Missy Greis, owner of Publik Coffee, said the masks work. She said that Publik was fully masked and had only delivery service. Five of the 64 employees in their four establishments had COVID, and none hired or transmitted it at work.

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

She said that Cox knows this, but the Utah legislature evidently does not.

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

Jensen asked clients to take Cox’s advice and not “be stupid” when sponsoring companies. He asked people to remember that Harmons associates are just doing their job 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 is asking everyone to do their part, masking themselves until health professionals say it is safe to do the job. contrary. He said customers and employees at his barbershop will remain fully masked.

All Intermountain Healthcare facilities will continue to require masks.

It required facial coverage at its facility “long before any kind of state mandate,” said Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare. “We did this because the masks protect patients, protect caregivers and visitors. Pure and simple. “

And they will continue to impose masks “for the sake of caution … because we feel it is our duty”.

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

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

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

“I can say that I will wear a mask on April 11 and move on,” said Stenehjem. “We know that 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 encouraged people to continue to wear masks “when you are close to other people and cannot socially distance yourself”.

“Absolutely, just put it on. It is the only thing that costs nothing. It does not affect the community from an economic point of view. It allows things to remain open. “

And it is necessary because, although the number of Utahns receiving vaccines is increasing, Stenehjem warned that “the level of viruses in our community is still high”.

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 children play outside.

“I would say that in the not too distant future, they will probably be able to play without masks,” said Stenehjem, “because when you are away, intercommunity transmission is low.”

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

“I think masks have become something of a social norm by now,” said Stenehjem. “People are comfortable with that. When I go out, I grab my phone, my keys and my mask. It has become normalized. … And then my recommendation would be to continue with a mask. “