The St. Louis County Council on Tuesday night once again heard from a long line, albeit shorter than previous weeks, of residents staunchly opposed to mask and vaccine mandates.
Council members then delayed a vote on yet another proposed ordinance to reinstate a mask mandate in the county recommended by health experts in the wake of the new delta variant and low vaccination rates.
The council delayed the vote because they are slated to meet virtually with county health officials, including Acting Health Director Faisal Khan, at 4 p.m. Thursday. The meeting will give those health workers a chance to explain and defend their position, while taking questions from council members.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Ernie Trakas said he would be bringing his own health expert to Thursday’s meeting. He did not name who that person was.
The contentious debate over masks began when St. Louis County Executive Sam Page enacted a public health order requiring masks in public indoor spaces and transportation July 26, alongside St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. The day after the mandate went into effect, the St. Louis County Council voted 5-2 to end the mandate after a lengthy and raucous public comment session that received national news media attention.
Those who voted to rescind Page’s mandate were Tim Fitch, 3rd District; Mark Harder, 7th District; Rita Days, 1st District; Ernie Trakas, 6th District; and Shalonda Webb, 4th District.
Webb and Days, both Democrats, faced public criticism for siding with their Republican colleagues in that vote and a vote against Councilwoman Lisa Clancy’s, 5th District, proposed mask mandate ordinance a few weeks later.
Attorney General Eric Schmitt also sued to block the county’s mask mandate the day it went into effect. Last week, a county judge ruled the county could not enforce a mask mandate until the court made a final judgement.
“Shut up, mask up and set a better example of kindness in caring for our community.” — St. Louis County Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway
On Tuesday night, Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, 2nd District, decided to delay the vote on her proposed mask mandate in light of Thursday’s meeting. She also addressed her concerns regarding the safety of young children who cannot be vaccinated, citing her experience in sending her two elementary aged children back to school.
“People are dying, the St. Louis County health care community is united in its plea to mask up, vaccinate and stop this virus from taking and maiming lives,” she said, later adding: “If our children can wear a mask all day long, the grownups can put one on, too.”
She said even if the kids don’t like it, they suck it up and wear a mask so that they can go back to school and get out of their houses.
“If the grownups don’t like it, they can do the same,” she said. “Shut up, mask up and set a better example of kindness in caring for our community. For weeks this council has listened to the cries of freedom for the entitled and against the advice of health care professionals have voted away mask mandates.”
She said the county is no longer at a breaking point, but past it. In an emotional conclusion, she implored people to wear a mask and keep children safe.
The mask mandate remains in effect in the city and Jones recently announced that civil service employees — nearly 6,000 workers — will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct.15 or get tested for the virus on a weekly basis.
News outlets reported that the Board of Aldermen will hold a special meeting Monday to consider approving a 30-day continuation of the mask mandate that Acting Health Director Fredrick Echols plans to issue.
The board’s approval is being sought to cover the city’s bases legally.