Commissioners vote to require masks in courthouse, county-owned buildings
Commissioners vote to require masks in courthouse, county-owned buildings
The mandate tracks CDC guidelines. Albany County Public Health Officer Jean Allais addressed the commissioners on the delta variant’s current spread in Albany County.
The Albany County Commissioners issued a mask mandate for county-owned buildings in a 2-1 vote during their meeting Tuesday. Masks are now required in the courthouse and other county buildings for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, with the exception of those alone at their desks, in their offices.
The mandate follows CDC guidelines and comes in response to the rapid spread of the delta variant and the county’s low vaccination rate. Currently just 45 percent of the county population is vaccinated.
Albany County Public Health Officer Jean Allais advocated for the mandate during the commission meeting.
“The delta variant is now the prominent strain of COVID-19 in the United States, as well as in Wyoming,” Allais said. “In Wyoming, the delta variant is causing approximately 92 percent of new infections.”
One county staff member was concerned about how the mandate would be enforced, pointing to the difficulties encountered during the last mandate and the inability of staff to confront unmasked individuals who are angry about mask requirements.
“Because something is hard, does not make it the wrong thing to do,” Commission Chair Pete Gosar said. “We passed the largest number of people under 50 hospitalized yesterday … This is quite honestly a health emergency.”
Albany County District Court Judge Tori Kricken added she would be willing to issue an order for the third floor of the courthouse, where she has jurisdiction. That could mean that someone in that area refusing to wear a mask could be held in contempt of court and face fines or even imprisonment.
The mask mandate passed on a 2-1 vote, with Commissioner Heber Richardson casting the dissenting vote.
Just more than 34 percent of Wyoming residents are fully vaccinated, making it one of the least vaccinated places in the county. Only Missouri and Alabama have lower rates.
Allais said the delta variant is 200 percent more transmissible than the other strains of COVID-19. Previously, an individual carrying the coronavirus infected an average of 2-3 others. Those with the delta strain infect 6-10 others on average.
Taken together, low vaccination rates and a highly transmissible variant are filling the state’s hospitals. Between 95-97 percent of those who are hospitalized with the delta variant are not vaccinated.
Allais said Albany County was seeing an average 2.4 new cases a day one month ago. Last week, that average grew to 13 a day.
The current transmission risk in Albany County is categorized as moderate to high, with 89 active cases.
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