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POCATELLO -- At a special meeting Monday, the Pocatello City Council voted to rescind the City’s face covering ordinance effective Wednesday, April 28.
Additionally, Councilmembers approved a motion to call a special meeting to consider reimplementing a face covering ordinance if active cases rise to 15 or more per 10,000 for 14 consecutive days or 30 or more per 10,000 for 3 consecutive days.
Per City policy, masks are still required for City employees and for citizens who enter City facilities and participate in programs and activities. Citizens are required to wear face coverings when entering any City of Pocatello building or facility or riding in public transportation buses. Citizens participating in City-sponsored programs or activities in outdoor spaces do not have to wear a face covering unless six-feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.
City Hall (Building, Engineering, Information Technology, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Mayor’s Office, Planning & Development Services, and Utility Billing) will continue to have limited access for citizens. Citizens are strongly encouraged to utilize phone or email first to contact City employees and officials as most issues can be taken care of through these channels. Citizens are also encouraged to utilize the City’s website, pocatello.us, to answer their questions, find forms, etc. If a citizen must visit City Hall, they are asked to make an appointment. When they arrive, citizens will be required to call from the lobby the department they are trying to reach. A directory of City departments located in City Hall is posted for citizens. An employee will then meet citizens at the interior doors. Floor markings are placed in the lobby indicating where citizens should stand while waiting.
Masks will continue to be required to ride Pocatello Regional Transit buses and for anyone entering Pocatello Regional Airport per President Joe Biden’s executive order.
Additionally, private businesses are free to set the conditions for a customer to enter or receive service at the business – including mask/face covering wearing. Business owners or managers are within their rights to ask patrons to leave the business if they do not follow the business’ terms.
City officials encourage all residents to take precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19. Additional information on ways to help prevent the spread of the disease can be found at siphidaho.org/coronavirus.php, coronavirus.idaho.gov, and cdc.gov.
More information and resources can also be found at pocatello.us/coronavirus.