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The Problems with Not Enforcing a Mask Mandate

Posted on by hgordon

After Kootenai County passed a mask mandate on July 23rd, a small portion of the population breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling like there might be some hope in stopping the wildfire that is the spread of COVID-19 in North Idaho. The mandate stated that failure to wear a mask in public settings would be classified as a misdemeanor offense, complete with a fine or possibly time in jail (“Kootenai Co. Sheriff,” 2020). Those in favor of mask-wearing celebrated, imagining the possibility of walking downtown without the fear of getting called names.

Unfortunately, over the course of the nearly three weeks that the mandate has been passed, not a single citation for failing to wear a mask has been issued. Instead, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has decided to focus on issuing warnings, and “favor[ing] education over enforcement” (“Kootenai Co. Sheriff,” 2020). Very few of the officers themselves wear masks, and there are very few instances where these warnings are even given out.

These “warnings” and “education” do not seem to be making any sort of impact on the community. Walking down the busiest street in the city, the bars and restaurants are full of people, and it looks like any other bustling Coeur d’Alene summer. You’d be lucky to see two or three people wearing masks while walking the sidewalks and into the restaurants. Kootenai County has definitely worked itself into a tough spot, and a vicious cycle; nobody willingly wears a facemask, so a mask mandate is passed, but nobody follows the mandate so it’s incredibly difficult to enforce. Because of this, a mandate becomes nothing more than another meaningless attempt at controlling the coronavirus, as well as just another topic to protest.

Something needs to be done if Kootenai County ever wants to get a grip on the number of COVID-19 cases. As of August 8th, the Panhandle Health District counts 807 active coronavirus cases, and 1,320 cases that are closed; Kootenai county is just one of five counties that make up the district, however, they account for eighty-three percent of the total cases (None, 2020).

The key to enforcing mask wearing seems to lie in the hands of individual businesses. There are few small businesses throughout the county who strictly enforce the mask mandate and will not let those without them enter their store. Customers will still turn away and shop somewhere else. So, if the majority of stores are able to enforce their own mandate, people will have no choice to either wear a mask or go home. Many large retailers, such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and CVS have already implemented their own mandatory mask rules, regardless of a state’s rules (Repko, 2020). I don’t believe a statewide mandate will ever be enough, especially in such a red state as Idaho; if the state is not going to work to enforce the mandate themselves, the responsibility will lie in the hands of individual business owners to turn away those who do not comply.

 

 

Kootenai Co. Sheriff Favoring Education, Warnings Over Enforcing New Mask Mandate. (2020, July 27). https://www.khq.com/coronavirus/kootenai-co-sheriff-favoring-education-warnings-over-enforcing-new-mask-mandate/article_e7a2826a-cdce-11ea-9312-d3ad221b6ba5.html.

None. (2020, August 08). Panhandle Health District: Another death due to virus. Retrieved August 09, 2020, from https://cdapress.com/news/2020/aug/08/panhandle-health-district-another-death-due-5/

Repko, M. (2020, July 17). With wave of mask requirements, Walmart and other retailers face challenge: How to enforce the rules. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/17/with-mask-requirements-retailers-face-challenge-enforcing-the-rules.html

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