Lewiston mask order extended 90 days

A slim majority of the Lewiston City Council voted Monday night to extend its mask mandate for 90 days, with supporters citing a correlation with a decline in COVID-19 infections and deaths that began when it enacted the mandate in November.

Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Schroeder was joined by Councilors Bob Blakey and Kevin Kelly in supporting Councilor John Bradbury’s motion to extend the mandate, with an update from public health officials on the state of the coronavirus pandemic after 45 days. Mayor Mike Collins and Councilors Cari Miller and John Pernsteiner voted against the extension.

“If you’re starting to see success, it is really foolish to stop,” Schroeder said, citing Public Health – Idaho North Central District Director Carol Moehrle’s view that a combination of face coverings, social distancing, gathering size restrictions and good hygiene are likely responsible for the decline.

Bradbury said he realized that the correlation isn’t proof that measures like masking are working, but he could think of no other reason why cases would start declining almost simultaneously with the mask mandate. But Bradbury didn’t follow through with a proposal he floated last week to remove the medical exemption from the mandate, which he said allows people to wiggle out of the mask requirement with no actual proof that they have a condition that precludes mask wearing.

Pernsteiner said he couldn’t support the imposition of a mandate with no certainty of what a “win” is, other than complete eradication of the virus. He also expressed concerns over the enforceability of the mandate and the tension it may create between police and people. And he said it creates tension between anti-maskers and the businesses they patronize.

Pernsteiner’s desire for a clear definition of a “win” drew a response from Bradbury, who argued that any decrease in viral transmission was worth the effort.

“What is a win?” he asked. “A win is every life we save and every infection we avoid.”

Kelly said he would like to see a much higher availability of the coronavirus vaccines before he would feel comfortable without a mandate. Last week, Moehrle told the council that the entire five-county health district only gets between 600 and 900 doses per week.

The council debate was preceded by two hours of public testimony, a common feature of meetings where councilors have considered mask mandates. And while many of the same anti-maskers from past meetings made encore appearances, there was almost an equal number of people who sent voicemail or email comments to the council in support of extending the mandate.

Many of them were elderly or infirm, and said that masking is helping to keep them safe and healthy. Another common refrain was that they felt safer shopping in Lewiston after the increase in masking after the mandate, and several commenters from other communities without mandates said they specifically come to Lewiston to shop because of its mandate.

The mandate would have expired at the end of Monday if the council hadn’t extended it. In general, it requires face masks or shields whenever physical distancing can’t be maintained.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or at (208) 310-1901, ext. 2266.