County-wide mask mandate mentioned in Pueblo Board of Health meeting
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Wednesday, the Pueblo Board of Health held their monthly meeting to discuss COVID-19 in Pueblo County. During that meeting, a county-wide mask mandate was mentioned, among other mitigation strategies, as a way to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the county.
The director for the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, however, told KRDO he's against a county-wide mask mandate.
"My current stance is we should not implement a county-wide mask mandate but that is their decision," said Randy Evetts, Public Health Director for PDPHE.
He is referring to the Pueblo Board of Health, consisting of five members, President Donald Moore, Vice President Michael Nerenberg, and members Garrison Ortiz, Ed Brown, and Eileen Dennis. They are the decision-makers when it comes to a potential mandate coming to Pueblo County.
Evetts told KRDO the reason the mandate was mentioned is that the rising number of hospitalizations and case numbers in Pueblo.
"The discussion at our board meeting was really to understand that hospitalizations are increasing in our community," Evetts said. "It was just kind of some brainstorming about what potential actions the board could take if there was community support, or if there was a real need to do that based on what we are seeing at the hospitals."
The topic has received mixed support from people in Pueblo County.
"I would be in full support of a county-wide mask mandate and I am actually kind of upset that people are not concerned about passing that onto others," Phil Van Garrick said.
"I think I would want to understand why they would need to have a measure back when we were right in the middle of the pandemic now when it seems like we have turned a corner somewhat," Mark Meihaus said.
The Pueblo Board of Health has never issued a county-wide mandate. They have always followed the state's guidance on masking. They followed in line with a mandate that began in June 2020 and ended in May of 2021.
