Logan • City officials in Logan, Utah, have passed a resolution meant to educate residents about the benefits of wearing masks during the pandemic instead of extending a citywide mask mandate.
The Logan Municipal Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday not to extend the mask mandate, which is set to expire Aug. 30 when the state of emergency order ends, The Herald Journal reported. The resolution is scheduled to go into effect until Oct. 15.
Councilmember Jess Bradfield said many residents are willing to wear a mask but the mandates have led to division and conflicts. He instead encourages residents to do the right thing and follow professional guidance.
The meeting was filled with many who wore masks and many who did not, highlighting the lack of enforcement. Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen said the department has not issued any citations to his knowledge.
“If we were only individuals, we wouldn’t have the need for laws and rules. But we’re not. We’re a community,” resident Jennifer Peoples said in favor of keeping the mask mandate.
[Read more: Salt Lake County extends COVID-19 mask mandate through 2020, as state reports 8 new deaths]
Many who argued against the mandate referenced a low number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cache County. They also said masks were ineffective.
“I’m hearing a lot of misinformation,” said Allan Anderson, a surgeon at Logan Regional Hospital. “Masks work. They don’t eliminate the disease, but they significantly prevent spreading it.”
Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
