The city of Boise will begin enforcing a face mask mandate as coronavirus cases continue to surge within Idaho.

What’s going on?

Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said the city will close city facilities and ask residents and businesses to enforce a mask mandate, according to Boise Weekly.

  • “If you are a business with employees that are trying to get customers to comply with the order, you will be able to call us and we will be able to come to your place of business and provide you with the support needed to enforce that order,” McLean said. 
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What are the rules?

Businesses that have customers who refuse to wear masks can call the Boise Police Department to request assistance, according to KTVB.

  • Police can issue citations or arrest individuals.

People in Boise can call the city clerk’s office to report businesses that fail to uphold face mask practices, too.

  • Business could be suspended for 10 days for the first offense, 20 days for the second and an entire year on the third offense.
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Key quote:

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“Current community hospital models require immediate action to keep our community safe, ease the burden on the health care system and control community spread,” the Boise mayor’s office said in a release. “What we are currently doing is not working. If we do not change our approach our health and our economy will suffer.”

Idaho and coronavirus:

  • Idaho saw a new record of confirmed COVID-19 cases with 1,781 this week.
  • CNN reports Idaho had the 17th-most new infections over the last week, which “is not as dire as those of other nearby states.”
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