© 2024 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Win a $15k travel voucher OR $10k in cash in NHPR's 1st Holiday Raffle!

Salt Lake City Mayor Announces Mask Mandate For K-12 Students

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced today she's issuing a mask mandate for K-12 students in the city. They return to class Tuesday.

The Salt Lake City School District declined to take an official stance on the mandate. But in a statement, it said it strongly supports wearing masks as a protection for kids not eligible for the vaccine.

Mendenhall says the issue has become politicized to the point that elected bodies worry about retribution if they take a public position.

Last week, the Salt Lake County Council voted down a mask mandate for kindergarten through grade 6 after the county health director recommended it.

Mendenhall says it's her responsibility to keep the city and school district from going down a "dangerous path," by not requiring masks.

She said she'd lift the order when COVID-19 cases go down. Salt Lake County is currently in the high transmission level by state standards for COVID-19 cases.

Copyright 2021 KUER 90.1

Jon came to KUER by way of Los Angeles, where he was a freelance reporter and production assistant for NPR member station KCRW. He received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. Prior to reporting, he spent six years in the film industry as an editor and post production coordinator, and worked on everything from Hollywood blockbusters to independent documentaries. He mostly preferred the latter, until the slow gravitational pull of public radio drew him away altogether. At KUER, he covers a little bit of everything, paying special attention to quality of life issues and the economy.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.