Nye County’s internal mask policy unchanged

On Friday, July 31, a new state mask mandate went into effect in Nevada and with Nye County one of the dozen counties subject to the new requirements, the Nye County Commission addressed the county’s internal mask policy during its Tuesday, Aug. 3 meeting.

At that meeting, commissioners declined to adjust the county policy to conform with the latest emergency directive from Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, meaning members of the public, as well as county and town staff, are still not required to don face coverings when entering town or county buildings.

However, the lack of action by the commission does not mean that local businesses can simply forgo the new mask mandate and those that attempt to thwart the state directive can suffer consequences for noncompliance.

The decision to keep the county’s mask policy the same came after nearly two hours of comment from members of the local community, in which more than 45 area residents spoke, the vast majority blasting the new mask mandate as one that steps all over the individual rights of Nevada’s citizens.

As one speaker, Constance Baredziak, put it, “My freedom doesn’t end where your fears begin!”

Many of those who spoke that morning have been against the idea of requiring masks from the very beginning but even some of those who have consistently followed the ever-changing recommendations and mandates are beginning to balk at the new masking requirements.

One speaker noted that she had previously worn a mask and took the extra step by receiving a vaccination, but this new measure was simply too much. Others agreed, saying they too had willingly complied with the previous masking and social distancing requirements but at this point, they just want to ability to make the best decisions for themselves, without government interference.

Those who have been vaccinated were obviously irritated as well, lamenting the fact that they were told by government officials repeatedly that they would no longer be forced to wear a mask if they participated in the vaccination process, promises that have now proven unreliable as Nevada and other states across the U.S. reinstitute masking requirements per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent recommendations.

Parents of school-age children were out in force as well, with the demand for parental choice when it comes to children wearing masks repeated over and over again. This is one arena, however, that Nye County commissioners cannot address, as the decision on whether school children will be made to mask up lies in the hands of the Nye County School District. School district officials told the Pahrump Valley Times that a letter notifying parents of which direction the school district will take for the coming school year would be sent out to parents today, Friday, Aug. 6, in preparation for the start of school on Aug. 10.

Once public comment came to a close, Nye County Commission Chair Debra Strickland turned to her fellow commissioners and asked if they would be amenable to allowing the agenda item to simply die without a vote being taken.

Commissioner Frank Carbone said he would agree with that path of action and then expressed his thanks to everyone who had come out that morning, or called in, to voice their thoughts on the matter.

Commissioner Leo Blundo was obviously pleased to have seen such a strong turnout for the item as well, emphasizing, “I believe that it is the will of this board that we are against the mask mandate 100%!”

He noted that he is going to be sponsoring a couple of resolutions in the future that relate directly to the COVID-19 pandemic, one to demand the end the state of emergency due to the pandemic and another to ban the concept of vaccine passports, announcements that elicited a round of applause and plenty of shouts of delight from the audience.

Commissioner Donna Cox had her say, too, asserting that Gov. Sisolak and the state need to be held accountable for any damages that are incurred because of the state mandates and commissioner Bruce Jabbour added, “I want you to realize that I, first and foremost, and I don’t typically speak for the other commissioners but I am going to say, we stand for you. We’re trying to take care of you, here in the county and especially our children… We’re here to help you, to take care of you and we appreciate you.”

Nye County commissioners then decided to take no action on the item and simply let it die for lack of a motion. As such, Nye County’s existing mask policy stands and vaccinated members of the public who enter a Nye County government office or building are not required to wear a mask. Those who are unvaccinated are supposed to wear a mask but the county is not requiring any proof of vaccination. The same policies apply for county staff and elected county officials. It is important to note that this does not override the state’s mask mandate and any business in Nye County that violates the mandate can be subjected to fines and other consequences from OSHA.

Currently, there are 12 counties throughout the Silver State that are subject to the new state mask mandate which requires that all persons, vaccinated or not, wear masks when in public indoor settings.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com