On Friday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to enact a countywide resolution requiring the wearing of face coverings when in public if 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.
County officials claimed that the Board took the action on the advice of the Back to Business Road to Recovery subcommittee, however it was noted that the Committee had not made it recommendation until well after the supervisors had been given a copy of it by administration.
The rule is effective immediately and applies to everyone over the age of 5. Parents who do not keep their children adequately muzzled with face stiff fines.
Supervisors Ally Miller and Steve Christy voted against the mandate.
“This is not going to change anything,” said Supervisor Miller. “People will continue to be in public spaces without masks and the exemptions are defined in the resolution. If you feel compromised or unsafe then you might want to stay home . Asking residents to report on each other and take photos is going to create more division in the community and will do nothing to stop the spread. I think education and information for the public in the form of advisories is a better approach.”
I agree. Pima county just passed mandatory masks. I voted against . The karen’s are celebrating! #GovernmentOverreach https://t.co/M8PEehMgJw
— Ally Miller (@Ally4Supervisor) June 20, 2020
It’s applicable in all public places, which are defined as: “[A]ny place, indoor or outdoor, that is open to the public and includes, but is not limited to, businesses or other establishments where people assemble or members of the general public may enter; offices; public buildings, highways and parks, and public transportation including taxis and ride sharing.”
There are several commonsense exceptions for medical and other reasons.
Any establishment open to the public also must require its employees wear face coverings, and if the establishment is unable to maintain physical distancing, it may ask members of the public to leave if not wearing a face covering and not covered by an exception. The public will be able to report instances of noncompliance by establishments at pima.gov. The county will not accept anonymous complaints.
The rule applies to everyone in the county outside of the tribal nations unless excepted. Several state statutes give the Board and the Health Department broad authority to protect the public health, including implementing protective measures to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.