NewsJuly 14, 2020
Cape County face mask order to slow spread of coronavirus sparks debate
Can face masks help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Cape Girardeau County or will they lead to business closures and a loss of personal freedom for county residents? According to some, masks won’t do anything to improve public health and are a form of government control...
Can face masks help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Cape Girardeau County or will they lead to business closures and a loss of personal freedom for county residents?
According to some, masks won’t do anything to improve public health and are a form of government control.
A group of nearly two dozen county residents, including several business owners, debated the issue for nearly three hours with county health officials at a meeting of the County Commission on Monday morning, a few hours after the county’s emergency face mask order went into effect.
The order, approved Friday by the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center Board of Directors, requires face coverings to be worn by most people older than 9 in almost all public spaces and gatherings throughout the county until further notice.
“The decision to implement this public health order was not one that was taken lightly,” said Jane Wernsman, director of the county health center, who attended the commission meeting along with several health center board members and Dr. John Russell, the center’s medical director.
Wernsman said the order was issued in response to an increase in coronavirus cases in the county.
“The increase we’ve seen in the last two weeks has been alarming,” Wernsman said. As of Monday, the number of positive coronavirus cases among Cape Girardeau County residents had reached 398, roughly double the total from a couple of weeks ago.
“The intent of the order is to ensure people protect themselves and others, particularly those who are most vulnerable to poor outcomes should they become infected with COVID-19,” she said.
Objections
But many at the meeting did not agree.
“It’s going to kill my business,” said Danetta Mason, owner of a hair salon in Cape Girardeau.
“Right before everyone shut down for COVID, I had just opened my salon,” she told the commissioners. “We just got back open up again and then you’re going to do this to us? That’s disgusting.”
Mason said she has had customers tell her they won’t use her salon’s services if they have to wear a face mask.
“Some people out there are sheep. They’re going to put their mask on and they’re going to do exactly what you tell them to,” she said. “What’s next? We can’t own a business? The government’s going to own our business next? I can’t even believe this is America.”
Mason said her son, who has special needs and is unable to wear a face mask, was prohibited from attending school Monday because his face was uncovered.
However, Russell pointed out the emergency order includes exemptions for children as well as people who have conditions prohibiting face-mask use and that there “isn’t any reason” why Mason’s son cannot go to school.
“As a physician and as a pediatrician, I am very sensitive to some of the issues that are being expressed,” he said. “We have not told any school district or any business what they may or may not do as it relates to children. It (the order) clearly says persons with health conditions that prohibit wearing a mask, nothing in the order shall require the use of a face covering by any person for whom doing so would be contrary to their health or safety.”
Effects on businesses
Recent surveys by the chambers of commerce in Cape Girardeau and Jackson indicated a fairly even split in the business community over the use of face masks and whether businesses would encourage customers to wear them.
The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce asked its members whether they would require employees and customers to wear face masks if masks and signage were provided at no costs. As of Sunday night, 39 (60%) of the 65 survey participants said “no.”
“We sent a similar survey trying to gauge business interest in a voluntary compliance,” said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. Out of 150 survey respondents, 55% said they would prefer not to participate in a voluntary compliance program.”
However, Jeremy Roth, a Cape Girardeau business owner, said he conducted an informal survey of 69 area businesses.
“Out of 69 businesses, 95% said they did not want this,” he said.
“This isn’t a popular thing,” said Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy. “Nobody wants to wear masks, but nobody wants COVID, either.”
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Bleau Deckerd, superintendent of the Nell Holcomb School District and owner of a construction business, told the commissioners he has had subcontractors tell him they won’t work in Cape Girardeau “because they’re not going to wear a mask on the job.”
Instead of focusing on mask mandates, Deckerd said government officials and health authorities should focus on other issues.
“If you guys are truly concerned with making and keeping America healthy, we probably ought to start with getting rid of Big Macs and soda,” he said. “But that’s not your job. Your job is to allow me my freedom to make choices whether or not I want to be healthy and whether or not I want to wear a mask, because I choose not to. It’s not your job to make me wear a mask to protect other people.”
Personal freedom
Several people said they felt the mask order infringes on their personal freedom, while others questioned whether masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“This is just a little litmus test to see how far local governments can push us,” Aaron Dubois said.
“I don’t see a need for any of this,” Janet Criddle said.
“You’re kidding yourself if you think this is going to protect you or any of us,” she continued. “It’s time you started seeing this is Marxism.”
“It’s draconian,” commented someone else in the audience.
County health center epidemiologist Autumn Grim told the group one of the factors for the face mask order was the county’s increasing percentage of positive COVID-19 tests, which has increased to about 5%.
“Our positivity rate doubled between June and July and that was a huge factor,” she said. “As an epidemiologist, this has been the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life. I enjoy my freedoms as well, but when we see the number and see the doubling of the positivity rate, this (face masks usage) is one of the only means of control we have to control this (the spread of coronavirus).”
Several in the room questioned the county’s data and said the reason for increases in the number of positive cases and positivity rate is become more tests are being done.
“Yes, If you test more people you will find more people with a positive result,” Russell said. “But 5% of 100 is still 5% of 1,000 and if you’re going from 5% to 6% or 8% or like California now at 10%, then the actual number of people in the population as a whole with the disease is going up. We are seeing that in Cape County.”
Some at the meeting suggested COVID-19 isn’t as deadly as they’re being led to believe.
“This virus is not deadly,” Chris Madden said. “It’s all because of the media.”
Madden said he has been tracking the number of coronavirus fatalities in Southeast Missouri and said the 37 deaths out of a population of roughly a half million is negligible.
“There are more people dying of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, car accidents and industrial accidents,” he said.
Three of those deaths have been residents of Cape Girardeau County and all three, Madden said, have been in their 70s and 80s.
“Three deaths is tragic, but nobody lives forever, right? God rest their souls, but they were on their way out anyway,” he said. “We’re all going to die one day. If you die of COVID-19, guess what? It was your time to go.”
Health center board chairman Roland Sander told the group he “cannot believe many people are going to refuse to come to your business because they have to wear a mask. There might be some, I’m not going to deny that, but this is something we have to take seriously.”
Violations of the face mask order can be considered a Class A misdemeanor under authority of Missouri State Statute 192.300, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in the county jail.
“I really don’t think anybody from the health center is going to knock on your door and close your business down (for violating the order),” Russell told the group. “If there are complaints, there is a process for folks to complain about noncompliance. If it becomes obvious someone is flaunting the order, then it can be referred to the prosecuting attorney’s office and the prosecuting attorney can take it up just like any other violation of public health statutes and orders.”
Several people at the meeting suggested instead of “requiring” face coverings, the order be changed to “strongly recommend” face mask usage.
Health center board members in attendance agreed to schedule a follow up meeting to discuss the face mask order and said the date and location of that meeting will be posted on the health department’s website, www.cgcohealthdept.com.
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