The City of Driggs has declared a state of emergency due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. Following the recommendations of the Department of Health and Welfare as well as the Centers for Disease Control, Eastern Idaho Public Health, and local medical professionals, all of which are urging people to wear masks indoors, Mayor Hyrum Johnson of Driggs issued a Public Health Emergency Order Monday requiring masks to be worn indoors in all publicly accessible places. The order went into effect just after midnight Monday morning, and applies to all businesses, government agencies, schools, churches, and any other indoor location within the city which is publicly accessible.
The order is an administrative tool authorized under Idaho statutes and will be reviewed and possibly extended by the City Council at its regular meeting tonight. In announcing the order, Mayor Johnson stated, “There has been so much misinformation floating around, and it’s led us to the crisis situation we are in right now. People need to understand how serious this situation is and be more cautious about their information sources.” A similar mandate was put in place in late August for Teton County, Wyoming.
