Utah lawmakers weigh overturning local mask mandates
SALT LAKE CITY — The GOP-dominated Utah Legislature was weighing Tuesday a resolution to overturn local mask mandates as the omicron variant of the coronavirus fuels a punishing coronavirus surge.
The resolution was introduced on the first day that lawmakers began their work for the year. It would overturn requirements in Salt Lake County to wear masks indoors, preferably N95 or KN95 masks that are more effective against the omicron variant.
The monthlong mandate passed with support from some Republican council members who despaired at the disruptions to health care workers, firefighters and schools caused by the highly contagious variant. Fueled by the contagious omicron variant, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah is higher than than at any point since the pandemic began, shows data from the CDC. That mirrors a national trend.
The case counts and deaths from COVID have also been on the rise.
But state lawmakers say there’s no appetite for mandates. Sen. Dan McCay of Riverton, the resolution's sponsor, said his 7-year-old daughter teared up at the thought of wearing a mask again.
“That constituent, and that impression, was poignant for me to be willing to step up and end the mask mandate,” he told reporters.
A law passed last year allows the state Legislature to overturn local health mandates. Tuesday's bill would specifically overturn the mask mandate in Salt Lake County; it wasn't immediately clear whether it would also apply to a separate mandate in the ski resort community of Summit County.
“If we don’t act, we are complicit in either accepting or rejecting it,” said Senate president Stuart Adams, who had just completed a five-day quarantine period himself after testing positive for COVID.
McCay also questioned the efficacy of masks against the highly contagious omicron variant. The Centers for Disease Control has recommended N95, KN95 or similar masks. Few Republican lawmakers wore face coverings at the state Capitol. It is located in Salt Lake County but GOP Gov. Spencer Cox quickly exempted them from the mandate.
Democrat Luz Escamilla, who represents Salt Lake City, said state lawmakers should leave the mandates passed by local leaders in place.
“My constituents were begging for a mask mandate even before the mayor acted,” said Democrat Luz Escamilla. “We really want to keep seeing that mask mandate in place.”
The omicron variant spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains and has already become dominant in many countries. It also more easily infects those who have been vaccinated or had previously been infected by prior versions of the virus. However, early studies show omicron is less likely to cause severe illness than the previous delta variant, and vaccination and a booster still offer strong protection from serious illness, hospitalization and death.
This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah lawmakers weigh overturning local mask mandates
