ITEM TITLE:
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Approval of Amendment No. 1 to Valdez COVID-19 Public Health Mandate #003
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SUBMITTED BY: Mark Detter, City Manager
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
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Approve Amendment No. 1 to Valdez COVID-19 Public Health Mandate #003
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SUMMARY STATEMENT:
On July 7, 2020, Valdez City Council approved Valdez COVID-19 Public Health Mandate #003, requiring all people in Valdez over the age of five to wear a protective mask or cloth face covering that covers the mouth and nose in public settings or communal spaces outside the home where social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained. The original mandate is attached for reference.
Health Mandate #003 became effective at 5:00 p.m. on July 10, 2020. Current mandate language states it "shall be reviewed on September 15, 2020, and thereafter as recommended by the Valdez COVID-19 Unified Command". This language indicates the mandate remains in effect indefinitely, unless rescinded by Valdez City Council at the recommendation of the Valdez COVID-19 Unified Command.
The Valdez Unified Command strongly recommends Health Mandate #003 remain in effect for the following reasons:
1. Both the CDC and Alaska Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS) recommend wearing cloth face coverings when around people outside your household to help mitigate transmission of the virus which causes COVID-19.
a. CDC face covering website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html?fbclid=IwAR2Sm5O4ONuBghvqp5VnUpdmpKbz7aZnwtw-_V4qltam576RDt-8HPo7iLI
b. DHSS face covering website: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/coveryourface.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3hx8YahSCZrgkStbsjcTsKN14rM-Jit20iw8vceDf6W2TtXKQ6wZ9oxPg
c. DHSS webpage summarizing scientific studies on face covering effectiveness: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/facecoverings.aspx
2. Under the current threshold criteria...
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