BOISE, Idaho — Residents of a small town in eastern Idaho will be required to wear a mask or face covering when indoors in a public setting, regardless of their vaccination status.
Victor Mayor Will Frohlich on Wednesday declared a COVID state of emergency, which was approved by the city council that night. He has since issued the mask order.
"Face coverings are one of our most effective tools in this pandemic,” Frohlich said in a prepared statement. “Increasing our use of masks within the community is the easiest and best way to protect the health of our citizens from the Delta variant while still allowing our businesses to remain open and preventing our health care system from collapsing."
The mayor's order requires people to wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public settings with limited exceptions. It starts at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 30. Public settings include offices, retail stores, restaurant and bars, local government offices, and schools within the city of Victor.
Victor is the largest city in Teton County, with about 1,900 residents. It’s not far from the Idaho-Wyoming border. COVID-19 cases have surged in the county lately due to the highly infectious Delta variant. The mayor says social distancing and the mask mandates are necessary to contain the spread of the virus.
Recent information from the CDC indicates that even fully vaccinated individuals can, in some cases, spread the Delta variant to others, and so indoor use of face coverings provides an important added layer of protection.
A copy of the Victor mayor's order can be found on the city's website.
Facts not fear: More on coronavirus
See our latest updates in our YouTube playlist: