City Council Debates Mask Mandate (8-27-20)

City Council Debates Mask Mandate (8-27-20)

The city of st.

Joseph has a deadline looming... in the next two weeks -- the city's mask mandate will expire.

Council members met today to decide what happens next -- and the conversation was colorful to say the least.

Here's kq2's madeline mcclain with what they decided to do.

Expanding the current mask mandate to the entire city of st.

Joseph --.just the idea has created a lot of commotion.

Quoteduring a city council work session.health experts said they are worried about the increase in people testing positive for the virus.and increasing hospitalizations.

"we have a pretty significant uptick in numbers and that actually sends us under a community spread standpoint from our friends so the harvard folks would suggest a very hard track, trace and test.the current mask mandate is set to expire on in september.so the discussion was whether to mandate masks citywide --now, later or never.

Another week will only exacerbate the numbers but we can wait.

We can watch them and i'll keep plotting them for you but they are going in the wrong direction."

Some in the city council doubting the science of masks - -getting this response from one city council member.kent o'dell, city council: "i'll tell you what, you put a mask on and you spit on my face and i won't wear a mask and i'll spit in your face.

We'll see who has the spit."a frustrating conversation due to the near universal belief among scientists, researchers and doctors that they ááhelpáá reduce the spread of the virus -- and provide some protection for the person wearing it.gary clapp: during public comment -- a majority of people who got up to speak were against a mandate.only one woman for it.

Ultimately leading the city council to decide to hold off -- "keep the status quo."

Reporting in st.

Joseph madeline mcclain kq2 news.