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Burlington city councilors will consider a resolution Monday that would require customers of retail stores to wear masks while inside those stores, after Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday that he would allow municipalities to decide to adopt more strict local policies.
Scott has consistently said he believes the most effective way to promote the use of fabric masks is education, rather than a mandate. But in his latest order, issued Friday, he allowed city councils and town selectboards to adopt more stringent measures.
“Understanding every municipality has different needs, we’ve come to the conclusion it would be appropriate to allow them to implement more strict requirements,” Scott said at a press conference.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said during his Friday afternoon press briefing that the city had lobbied the governor to allow municipalities to enact stricter requirements for masks inside of retail establishments.
“We have, from the early days of this epidemic, been very focused on masking, face covering, as a critical strategy,” he said. “I think that strategy is more important than ever as we move into the box it in stage, when we are trying to resume our lives and have as much of our community and economy turn back on and be suppressing the virus.”
The resolution requires both staff and customers to wear cloth face coverings over their noses and mouths while inside retail establishments.
Other towns and cities across Vermont may also consider adopting local measures regarding the use of masks, according to Karen Horn of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
“I think they may — as much because of [the governor’s] statement as because the weather is getting warmer and more people are getting outside,” Horn said. She wasn’t aware of any municipalities other than Burlington that are currently planning to consider policies related to masks.
Horn said in regular phone calls between municipal and state officials, questions have come up about enforcing public safety guidelines, like mask-wearing, as the weather gets nicer and people are more inclined to congregate in public places like parks and swimming holes.
According to the governor’s office, municipalities have authority to issue orders related to emergency management, but it will be up to towns to determine the limits of their authority.
In Burlington, the mask measure is focused on retail. Scott announced Monday that the state would allow a “gradual reopening” of retail stores, starting May 18. All employees are required to wear masks and maintain a distance of 6 feet, but customers are not required to wear masks under the governor’s order.
Under the state’s guidelines, stores are required to conduct health and safety training if they have more than 10 employees and are required to stay under 25% of their maximum capacity.
While some Burlington stores, like Church Street’s Homeport, are planning on opening Monday, others, including Common Deer and Birdfolk and Trinket, are not. Mark Bouchett, Homeport’s owner, told VTDigger earlier this week that the store was taking a number of precautions, including acquiring masks to offer to customers at the door.
Kara Alnaswari, the executive director of the Church Street Marketplace, told VTDigger earlier this week that she believed many, if not most, retailers would be opening on Monday and following the governor’s order.
The resolution requires stores to post signage informing customers they are required to wear masks, and does not apply to offices, restaurants, bars and hotels. Children under 2, those with difficulty breathing and those unable to remove the mask without assistance are exempt from the masking requirement.
If the City Council approves the resolution, it will remain in effect until the council amends, rescinds or suspends it, or if the mayor declares an end to the Covid-19 emergency — whichever happens first.
Weinberger said that he was hopeful the resolution would have strong support from the council.
“I hope everyone, in seeing the city take this step, understands this to be an effort to support the economy, getting people back to work, doing something about this terrible growing food insecurity,” he said. “By all indications, masking has an enormous impact on the transmission of the virus.”
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