HomeMy Public PortalAboutResolution 20-12 Mandating Requirement to Wear Face Coverings in Public PlacesCity of McCall
R es olution N o . 2 0 -12
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A R ESO LUTIO N MAND A TIN G R E Q UIREMENT TO W EAR FACE
C OVERINGS IN P U BLIC PLACES
WHEREAS, COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan , China in 2019, and since then has
spread to over 216 countries including the United States; and
W H EREAS, there were 6,117 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Idaho as of June 30, 2020,
and 13 confirmed cases ofCOVID-19 in Valley County as ofJune 30, 2020, as .well as the presence
of community spread in Idaho and Valley County. It is expected that' more cases will be diagnosed ;
and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic
as of March 11 , 2020; and
WHEREAS, on March 13 , 2020, the President of the United States declared a national
emergency concerning the corona virus, specificall y stating that , in "December 2019 a novel (new)
coronavirus known as SARS-Co V-2 was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province , People 's
Republic of China, causing outbreaks of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has now spread
globally [ ... ] The spread of COVID-19 within our Nation's communities threatens to strain our
Nation's healthcare systems[ ... ] Additional measures [ ... ] are needed to successfully contain and
combat the virus in the United States"; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, Idaho Governor Brad Little declared a State of
Emergency and Public Health Emergency in the State of Idaho , stating that wi th no confirmed
cases in Idaho at that time , Idaho was in the best position to be proactive and get ahead of the
impact coronavirus could have in Idaho ; and
WHEREAS, on March 16 , 2020 the Valley County Commissioners of the State of Idaho
Declared a State of Emergency Concerning the COVID-19 outbreak ; and
WHEREAS, on March 16 , 2020 the McCall City Council, Valley County, State of Idaho
Declared a State of Emergency Concerning the COVID-19 outbreak ; and
WHEREAS, a significant number of Idaho citizens are at risk of serious health
complications , including death , from COVID-19. Altho ugh most individuals who contract
COVID-19 do not become serio usly ill , peop le with mild symptoms, and even asymptomatic
persons with COVID-19, place other vulnerable m em bers of the public at significant risk; and
Resolution 20-12 Public Face Coverings Policy
July 1, 202 0
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WHEREAS, a large number of persons with serious infections can compromise the ability
of the healthcare system in Valley County to deliver necessary healthcare to the public; and
WHEREAS, Valley Co unty , Idaho is a tourist destination and other mountain resort
communities in the Rocky Mountain region have been the nuclei of infection in their respective
states (Vail , CO; Park City , UT and Sun Valley/Ketchum, ID); and
WHEREAS, as previous public health orders expire or are replaced with less restrictive
orders , Valley County will likely see increasing numbers of visitors from outside the county who
can potentially transmit COVID-19 and at the same time will be more likely to interact with each
other and with local residents as businesses , tourist destinations such as National Parks , and other
services reopen ; and
WHEREAS, St. Luke 's McCall routinely serves patients not only from within Valley
County but also patients from Adams County, ID , Washington County, ID , Idaho County, ID , and
tourists from all areas who will further stress it s capacity , making it critical that City of McCall .
take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 infection so as not to overwhelm the local healthcare
system in such a way that would result in many preventable deaths ; and
WHEREAS , there are vulnerable populations in the McCall area including but not limited
to one long-term care facility in McCall with residents at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 and
one Senior Community Center that serves vulnerable and at-risk senior citizens ; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a respiratory illness , transmitted through person-to-person
contact or by contact with surfaces contaminated with the virus. Persons infected with COVID-19
may become symptomatic two to fourteen days after exposure; and
WHEREAS, asymptomatic (including pre-symptomatic) infected individuals are
infectious and without mitigation, the current estimate is that 40%-80% of infections occur from
individuals without symptoms. In a study carried out in an isolated village of approximately 3,000
people in northern Italy , it was shown that 50-75% of people with positive pharyngeal molecular
tests were totally as y mptomatic. This finding was confirmed by a more recent evaluation carried
out in China, where to avoid a new outbreak of COVID-19, all the people arriving from overseas
were rigorously tested. It was found that among patients with newly identified infections , 78%
were asymptomatic. Universal screening of asymptomatic SARS-Co V-2 in women admitted for
delivery in New York City shows that 13.7% were infected, and that asymptomatic women
accounted for 88 % of infected individuals in the study. Of individuals who do become
symptomatic, viral loads are the highest in the pre-symptomatic and early symptomatic phase,
decreasing thereafter; and
WHEREAS, respiratory droplets from infected individuals are a major mode of SARS-
Co V-2 transmission. Thi s understanding is the basis of the recommendations for physical
di stancing , and of the PPE guidance for healthcare workers . Dropl ets do not only come from
coughing or sneezing: in a-/pre-symptomatic individuals , droplets are al so generated via talking
and breathing; and
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WHEREAS, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may be broadcast in
respiratory droplets "from normal breathing ," according to a letter from a committee of the
National Academies of Sciences , Engineering , and Medicine. The letter, sent to the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy on April 1, cites numerous studies indicating the
presence of coronavirus in aerosols. In one, air samples collected more than 6 feet from two
patients in COVID-19 isolation room s tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Until some weeks
ago , it was thought that the virus could be transmitted mainly by droplets that are coughed or
sneezed out or by previously contaminated objects , with differences according to the initial load
and surface characteristics. However , the results of some submitted but not yet peer-reviewed
studies seem to indicate the opposite, i.e ., the virus can be present in exhaled air produced by
talking and breathing ; and
WHEREAS, face coverings reduce droplet dispersal. Cloth-based coverings reduce
emission of particles by variable amounts , for example one study showed that they are almost
completely eliminated. Patients with seasonal coronaviruses (other than SARS-CoV-2) were
randomi ze d to exhale breath with or without surgical face masks on . Viral RNA was detected in
40 % of aerosols and 30% of respiratory droplets collected from participants without a face mask
-but in none collected from those wearing a mask. A second study showed that cloth coverings
filtered viral particles during coughing at about 50 to 100 % of the filtration efficiency of surgical
masks, depending on fabric, with absolute filtration efficiencies of 50-70%. A third study showed
50% filtering efficiency for airborne particles ; and
WHEREAS, evidence indicates that face covering wearing reduces the transmissibility
per contact by reducing transmission of infected droplets in both laboratory and clinical contexts.
Public face covering wearing is most effective at stopping the spread of the virus when compliance
is high . This evidence supports the conclusion that more widespread face covering adoption can
help to control the COVID-19 epidemic by reducing the shedding of droplets into the environment
from asymptomatic individuals . This is also consistent with the experiences of other countries that
have adopted this strategy. One ecological analysis found that , "In countries with cultural norms
or government policies supporting public mask-wearing , per-capita coronavirus mortality
increased on average by just 5.4% each week, as compared with 48% each week in countries that
did not wear masks."; and
WHEREAS, in the most comprehensive, systematic review and meta-analy sis of face
coverings published to date , Chu et al. found that face masks could reduce risk of transmission of
COVID-19 by an expected 85 percent; and
WHEREAS, guidelines published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on April
3, 2020 , recommend that all people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other
phys ical distancing measures may be difficult to maintain . CDC also advises the use of simple
cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and
do not know it from transmitting it to others; and
WHEREAS, orders requiring face coverings in total or in part are already in place
statewide in many U.S. states and in many local areas in other U.S. states; and
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Re solution 2 0-1 2 Public Face Coverings Policy
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WHEREAS, decreased transmissibility due to face covering use could substantially
reduce the death toll and economic impact while the cost of the intervention is low ; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Ordinance 986 , Sections 6 B. (6), 6 C. (3) and (5), and 6 D. (3)
and (5), the City Council does declare and issue a Public Health Emergency Order.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF MCCALL, VALLEY COUNTY, IDAHO, having duly met on July 1, 2020 , at a Special
City Council Meeting , which was properly noticed and open to the public, and having fully
considered the matter at hand, that:
SECTION 1. FACE COVERINGS
Every person, shall, when in any indoor or outdoor public place , completely cover their nose and
mouth, when members of the public are physically present for otherwise unprotected social
interaction.
1. DEFINITIONS: For purposes of this Public Health Emergency Order "public place"
shall mean any place open to all members of public without specific invitation,
including but not necessarily limited to , retail business establishments , government
offices , medical, educational , arts and recreational institutions, public transportation,
including taxi cabs and ridesharing vehicles. "Members of the public" shall mean
persons not therein employed , present without invitation.
2. EXEMPTIONS:
a. Children under the age of 5 .
b. Persons who cannot medically tolerate wearing a face covering. A person is not
required to provide documentation demonstrating that the person cannot
medically tolerate wearing a face covering.
c . Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is
hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for
communication .
d. Persons , including on-duty law-enforcement officers , for whom wearing a face
covering would create a risk to the person related to their work , as determined
by local , state , or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
e. Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose, face , or head for which
temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service.
f. Persons who are eating or drinking at a restaurant or other establishment that
offers food or beverage service , so long as the person is able to maintain a
distance of 6 feet away from persons who are not members of the same
household or party as the person.
g. Outdoor public places where a person can employ social distancing as
recommended by CDC where the person is able to maintain a distance of 6 feet
away from persons who are not members of the same household or party as the
person.
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Resolution 20-12 Public Face Coverings Policy
Jul y I , 2020
h. Persons who are engaged in indoor exercise , so long as they engage in social
distancing.
SECTION 2. PENALTIES
Any person who violates any provisions of this Order, shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable
by a fine of $100.
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE AND SUNSET DATE
This Emergency Order shall take effect at 12:00 a.m., on July 2, 2020 and shall remain in effect
until August 1, 2020 unless extended by the City Counci l.
PASSED and approved by the City Council of the City of McCall this 1 day of July 2020 ,
ATTEST:
Signed~~ __)
Roberts.i1es: Mayor
I certify that the above Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of McCall
on July I, 2020 by the following vote : Ayes : :f
B
Resolution 20-12 Pub li c Face Covering s Policy
July 1, 2020
Nos: / ----
Absent: e--:
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