Face covering ordinance to go to Pocatello Council

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - The Pocatello City Council will consider adopting a public health emergency ordinance. If approved, face-masks would be required to be worn in all public places or when six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained.

Council will consider the ordinance at its regular meeting Thursday, at 6 p.m.

There would be numerous exceptions, including:

• Children under the age of 5.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 social distancing, as recommended by the CDC, from persons who are not members of the same household or party as the person.
• Persons who are incarcerated.
• Patrons of gyms so long as the gym is following a plan approved by the local health district.
• Outdoor and/or indoor public places where people can maintain social distancing as recommended by the CDC

If approved, the ordinance would set up a 30-day period of public eduction. After 30 days, violators would be cited with an infraction and fined $50. The ordinance would be revisited in the first regular City Council meeting of January, 2021 and reviewed at every first monthly council meeting thereafter, unless repealed.

You can read the entire proposed ordinance here.

The meeting is not a public hearing and testimony from the public will not be accepted during the meeting. Before the meeting, residents can submit their comments about the ordinance via email to the Mayor and the City Council or by calling 208-234-6163.

The council meeting will be streamed live here or through Government Access Channel 56 with a Sparklight cable TV subscription.