Lang
7/4/20
The city of Muscatine may mandate that all residents wear masks in public as soon as Sunday.
According to The Des Moines Register, Mayor Diana Broderson plans to issue a proclamation at a 2pm Sunday news conference stating that protective masks must be worn in public at all times. She told the newspaper that she hopes compliance will come willingly, but she’s also ready to order police to enforce the policy under threat of a $500 fine. Broderson added she would let police use their own discretion for each situation.
The proclamation comes as COVID-19 numbers have begun to spike in Muscatine County. Since June 1st, the county has seen an additional 63 cases, with 45 of them reported in the second half of June and the first three days of July.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office says Broderson’s proclamation may not be legal. But Broderson said she consulted with the city attorney, and cites an Iowa law that allows mayors to govern by proclamation in times of emergency.
The Muscatine city council is mixed on the idea. Among the detractors is councilor Dewayne Hopkins, who told the Register he doesn’t think the public wants to be told what to do.
Broderson blames the recent uptick on surrounding counties, specifically Johnson and Scott Counties. Local health officials have attributed the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in young adults in Johnson County to University of Iowa students’ lack of social distancing and Iowa City’s active bar scene. Many Iowa City bars have since temporarily shut down again as the number of COVID-19 cases has increased.