A member of the Scott County board wants to require residents to wear face masks when out in public. Tomorrow, Ken Croken will ask fellow supervisors to approve his motion to require masks when social distancing is not possible or impractical. That would follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"My goal is to provide the community with a clear understand of the severity of this epidemic and a clear understanding of the precautions that we could all take that would mitigate the spread."
In addition, if his motion does not pass, he would also like to require people to wear masks in the Scott County Administration Center.
Last week, the Iowa Attornery General issued an opinion saying that local governments do not have the power to go beyond the governor's emergency declaration and require masks in public. But Croken disagrees.
"I believe the governor's proclamations lay out the required minimal response across the state, but that local jurisidictions still have retained the authority, and indeed, the responsibility to take any additional actions that might be required."
Recently, the Scott County Board discussed requiring masks in the admintration building, but did not make a final decision.
Croken says that requiring masks in public is not just for public health, but also stopping the spread of COVID-19 will help the economy of the region by allowing businesses to stay open, and it will also allow schools to reopen for the fall.
