Whitefish proposes mandatory mask use

A dozen more positive cases of COVID-19 reported over the past three days in Flathead County have prompted the Whitefish City Council to schedule a special meeting and public hearing on Tuesday to consider an emergency ordinance making the use of masks mandatory in the city.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Whitefish City Hall. Those wishing to submit comments can email City Clerk Michelle Howke at mhowke@cityofwhitefish.org by 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. A copy of the proposed ordinance is available by contacting City Attorney Angela Jacobs at 863-2444 or ajacobs@cityofwhitefish.org.

It was just a week ago the Whitefish City Council passed a resolution “strongly encouraging” the use of face masks.

Now, if adopted, the emergency ordinance will require employees, contractors, volunteers, customers and visitors to wear a face mask at all places of business and in areas open to the public.

All individuals outdoors where social distancing is not possible would be mandated to wear a face covering or face mask, and outdoor gathers of 20 or more people would also mandate wearing a mask.

Children under 12 would be exempt, along with those who can’t wear a face covering because of a medical condition or development disability.

People seated at a restaurant or bar would be exempt while eating and drinking.

Violations of the ordinance would be declared a public nuisance , which the city may abate by restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction “or other means provided by law.” Each day of continuing violation of the ordinance may be considered a separate offense, according to the proposed ordinance.

The Great Northern Bar in Whitefish closed temporarily over the weekend after learning an employee tested positive on Saturday, according to a Facebook post from the popular Whitefish watering hole. The employee last worked on July 5 and is now under quarantine.

The Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force reported three positive cases in Flathead County residents on Saturday and nine on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 75. Of those cases, 25 are active, 48 have recovered and there have been two deaths.

A further breakdown of the total shows 16 Flathead positive cases are associated with travel, 24 are from an unknown source, 24 are from contact with a positive case, and 11 cases are under investigation, according to the Flathead City-County Health Department.

There are three non-residents being monitored in Flathead County for COVID-19, and a total of eight non-resident cases have been reported in Flathead County.

Meanwhile, in Lincoln County the number of positive cases shot up dramatically on Monday, with 19 new cases reported, for a total of 33 positive cases, with 26 active cases.

According to the Lincoln County Health Department, the new cases included 11 males and eight females. Of those, four are under age 20, six are in their 20s, five in their 40s, two in their 50s, one in their 70s and one in their 80s. Eighteen of these individuals are part of the cluster in Libby and one is from out-of state-travel. Contact tracing is ongoing, the health department said.

Montana now has 1,843 total confirmed cases since the outbreak began, with the heaviest concentration of the virus in Yellowstone County, where Billings is the county seat. Yellowstone County has 525 confirmed cases, the most of any county in Montana, though Gallatin County isn’t far behind, at 404 cases.

News Editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.