Wauwatosa Community Affairs To Consider Extending Mask Ordinance

WAUWATOSA, WI—The Wauwatosa Community Affairs will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night to discuss extending the local ordinance requiring face masks. The ordinance expires on April 7 in Wauwatosa.

Many residents submitted comments, according to the online meeting packet, in favor of extending it.

Amy Erickson, resident, "As an East Tosa resident, a small business owner and the parent of two kids at Longfellow middle school, I'm writing to express my support for extending the mask mandate. It's important. I know that numbers are down and vaccines are up. But there are a lot of us who still won't see a vaccine for several months and we take a risk every time we send our
kids to school, do our grocery shopping, go to work and support other small businesses. Masks give us some level of protection."

Rebecca L. Salawdeh, resident, "I am writing to encourage you to extend the Mask Mandate. We are not out of the woods yet. We are so close, let's not give up on safety before we get to the end."

I’m writing to request that the city vote to continue with the mask mandate until the end of the school year this June of 2021.

This will help to ensure that the students and teachers are safe to continue in person 5 days a week, and that families will be safer at home. By continuing the mask mandate, it will also allow for more vaccinations to be given by the end of the school year.

Jessica Brittingham, resident, "As a tosa resident, I would encourage you to continue the mandate. While it might not be the most appealing accessory, it is such an incredibly small sacrifice to keep those around us safe. I would absolutely love for us to be in a position later this year where the mask mandate could be canceled without so much as a second thought, we are certainly not there now."

Another resident, Autumn Gentry , spoke about her young son who lost his little sister over the summer due to cancer. In her comment she said having in-person learning has helped him with the grieving process due to school, friends and having a structured routine.

"Our school’s staying open are dependent on community numbers staying low and controlled. With new strains emerging, I’m concerned that numbers in our community will greatly increase if the mask mandate is removed causing children to be forced back into learning from home again.
For the good of our children and their mental health, please vote yes to extending the mandate," Gentry's comment said.

According to the Wauwatosa website, people ages five and older are required to wear masks or face coverings in indoor/enclosed spaces.

There are exceptions to wearing a mask, such as people who have a medical condition, or when eating and drinking.

Gov. Tony Evers signed orders in February establishing a statewide public health emergency and requiring face masks in public places to protect the health and safety of Wisconsinites. The orders remain in place for 60 days or until the governor or a joint resolution of the Legislature revoke them.