JACKSON, Wyo. — Today, during its Monday morning workshop, the Jackson Town Council made a unanimous vote to extend the mask mandate through the end of December.
The vote was 4-0 in favor, with Councilor Jim Rooks absent from the meeting.
As long as the COVID-19 risk level remains high, the order applies to all visitors and residents of Teton County, regardless of vaccination status.
The initial health order which was implemented on Aug. 26 by Teton Health District Officer Dr. Travis Riddell, was set to last for 10 days through Sept. 4, barring an extension. However, a relatively new Wyoming statute gives county health departments the power to put mask orders in place for up to ten days and then leaves it to local elected bodies to determine whether they want to extend the order, as the town did today.
Now, the order is in effect through Dec. 31, unless the council votes to remove or alter it based on risk level and recommendations from public health officials.
Mayor Morton Levinson expressed support for the motion to extend the Health Order with the three other Council Members present and shared that she sees it as a “practical way to keep life going with the virus so present in our community.”
The Town Council will also continue virtual meetings through September and revisit this policy to not hold meetings in-person each month. Public comment and participation are still welcome. Community members can always comment through the Zoom platform, watch meetings through the Town’s website, and share perspectives via email.
This Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., the Mayor and Chair of the County Commission will join the local Health Officer and representatives from St. John’s Health and the Health Department for a COVID-19 update. The update will be streamed live on the Town’s website, which can be accessed at jacksonwy.gov by clicking the “Watch a Meeting” icon, will be aired live on both KHOL (89.1 FM) and KMTN (96.9 FM), and archived on jhcovid.com and the Town’s website.
