Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall signed an executive order on July 28, 2021, requiring both vaccinated and unvaccinated city employees and members of the public to wear masks inside city facilities. The order was issued to prevent the continued spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of city employees.
The decision follows new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that vaccinated individuals should resume wearing masks when indoors. Mayor Mendenhall stated that the city looks to the CDC and health experts to guide actions against the spread of COVID-19, noting that cases were rising across the nation and in Utah.
Under the order, city employees must wear masks inside city facilities, city vehicles, or when acting within the scope of city employment indoors. Visitors are also required to wear a face mask when inside a city facility.
Several exceptions to the mask requirement were established, including for individuals with specific medical conditions and children younger than three years old. Other exceptions include while actively eating or drinking, when alone or only with members of the same household in an enclosure, and when communicating with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing if alternative protection is used. Masking is also not required when confirming an identity, during certain city-authorized work that poses a risk, or while outdoors when maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from individuals from different households.
The executive order, which became effective July 28, 2021, is similar to a previous city requirement from May. Additionally, the Utah COVID-19 Transmission Index was scheduled to be replaced by the CDC Community Levels tool starting March 31, 2022, to identify community risk levels as low, moderate, or high.
