SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall calls on companies to enforce masks even after the state term ends

Intermountain Healthcare says it will require masks after the state term ends on April 10th.

The state mask mandate will end on April 10, but Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is urging local businesses to continue applying masks until public health officials say it’s safe to go without them.

Mendenhall joined local businessmen at a press conference on masks on Friday. Located in the mid-March sun outside of Santo Taco, Mendenhall said spring is always a hopeful time, but it is especially hopeful now, as the state sees the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. He said he thanked Governor Spencer Cox for opening the vaccines to anyone over the age of 16 starting March 24th.

While Utah’s COVID number is improving as more and more people are vaccinated, the mayor said the community must continue to exercise caution. In addition to protecting lives, he said the masks help clients feel safe by sponsoring Salt Lake City businesses.

“The masks have been good for business and I don’t want to see that progress being destroyed before I do it all,” he said.

Mendenhall said the end of the April 10 term is not a selected date with health-based reasoning. He said Salt Lake City is looking for guidance on how long masks should be worn by health authorities such as state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.

Mendenhall said city attorneys are evaluating whether the city can legally implement its own mask mandate. The option is “on the table,” but he said the city should look at health data first before making that decision.

Business owners at the press conference said they want him to continue wearing masks while trying to vaccinate his front-line workers.

Missy Greis, owner of Publik Coffee, said the masks work. He said Publik has been totally masked and has only had handover service. Five of the 64 employees at its four establishments have had COVID, and none have hired or transferred to work.

“Put on the masks a little more, they work,” he said.

He said Cox knows it, but obviously the Utah legislature doesn’t know it.

Mark Jensen of Harmons Grocery said he believes it will take another eight weeks to vaccinate all store associates. He said he doesn’t like masks either, but they are a small price to pay to keep people safe and open businesses.

Jensen asked patrons to heed Cox’s advice and not “joke” when sponsoring companies. He asked people to remember that Harmons associates only do their job and deserve to be treated with respect.

Ricky Arriola of Break Bread Barber Co. said that as a business owner, community member and parent, he asks everyone to do their part by masking themselves until health professionals say it’s sure to do the opposite. He said customers and staff at his hairdresser will remain completely masked.

All Intermountain plumbing will continue to need masks.

It required facial coverage at its facilities “long before any kind of state mandate,” said Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious disease doctor at Intermountain Healthcare. “We did it because masks protect patients, protect caregivers and protect visitors. Simple and straightforward. “

And they will continue to send masks “with great caution … because we believe it is our duty.”

Intermountain caregivers who work with patients or visitors will wear procedure masks and eye protection. Employees who do not work with patients or visitors will continue to wear fabric masks. And masks will continue to be imposed on both patients and visitors.

Intermountain will monitor the conditions, “and we will remove it when we consider it safe for everyone involved,” Stenehjem said.

He also recommended that Utahns continue to wear masks even after the state term ended.

“I can tell you that I will wear a mask on April 11 and move on,” Stenehjem said. “We know that masks work. We have seen many clinical trials. We have seen many observational studies that show the importance of a mask to reduce transmission.

He urged people to continue wearing masks “when you are close to people and you can’t distance yourself socially.”

“Absolutely, you just have to put it on. It’s the only thing that costs nothing. It does not affect the community in economic terms. It allows things to stay open. “

And it is necessary because, while the number of Utahns receiving vaccines is increasing, Stenehjem warned that “the level of viruses in our community is still high.”

He also recommended that children continue to wear masks when playing with other children indoors. But that will change as the weather gets warmer and the kids play outside.

“I would say that in the not-too-distant future, they can probably play without masks,” Stenehjem said, “because when you’re out, inter-community transmission is low.”

He expressed optimism that Utahns will wear masks even after the state term expires.

“I think masks have become a kind of social norm right now,” Stenehjem said. “People are comfortable with that. When I leave, I grab the phone, the keys, and the mask. It has been normalized. … And so my recommendation would be to continue with a mask. “