The City of Waukee had been scheduled to go under a mandatory mask mandate beginning last Friday, but the release of Waukee-specific COVID-19 data led Mayor Courtney Clarke to delay the requirement. | Stock photo
The City of Waukee had been scheduled to go under a mandatory mask mandate beginning last Friday, but the release of Waukee-specific COVID-19 data led Mayor Courtney Clarke to delay the requirement. | Stock photo
City of Waukee Mayor Courtney Clarke has delayed the implementation of a citywide mask mandate due to the release of new data from the Dallas County Public Health Department, but members of the public are still being “strongly encouraged” by Clarke to wear a facial covering in all public places.
As of last Friday, the planned mandate was set to require anyone over the age of three years old to wear a face covering anytime they are in public, according to reporting by KCCI. Face coverings as prescribed under the order from Clarke would have to cover both the nose and mouth.
However, the city issued new guidance shortly before Clarke’s order went into effect.
Clarke’s mask mandate order did have exceptions for those with health, religious or ability exemptions, according to KCCI.
The data from the Dallas County Public Health Department received by Clarke was the first that the city has been sent that showed Waukee-specific numbers, according to KCCI. The Dallas County Health Department data showed that the city had 40 confirmed coronavirus cases from Sept. 5 through 14.
“Up until today, we’ve had to make community decisions related to COVID-19 based on countywide information,” KCCI quoted Clarke as saying in a news release from the city. “Now that these Waukee-specific numbers are being made available, we will be able to make more exact data-driven decisions as to how to protect community members from contracting COVID-19.”
Clarke’s proclamation that had originally created the deadline for all residents to wear a face covering in public places is not simply going away though, according to KCCI. Instead, her proclamation will be amended to “strongly encourage” members of the public to still wear a face covering any time they are in a public setting.
In a press release from the city, Clarke promised to continue looking into COVID-19 trends specific to Waukee.
“We are requesting the historical zip code-specific data for our city and plan to work with Dallas County and state health officials to review trends,” Clarke said in the release. “It is our hope that with this analysis, we can set a data-driven target for future mask mandate proclamations.”
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