Marion issues ‘mask recommendation,’ though not a mandate

MARION - Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly on Thursday signed an emergency proclamation recommending the use of face coverings within the city as a way to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

The proclamation is not a mandate, like those issued in other Iowa cities, including Cedar Rapids, but an advisory on 'the use of face coverings in public places throughout Marion, whenever proper social distance cannot be maintained.”

'As a community, we have a personal responsibility to one another,” AbouAssaly said in a news release. 'Wearing a mask is an additional measure that protects our neighbors and can help us all get back to doing the thing we enjoy.”

Last month, Linn County elected officials met to discuss face coverings in the county. While some supported mandates, others did not. The concern was brought up at a September Marion City Council meeting, with council members favoring an 'advisory” or 'recommendation.”

The advisory recommends that those in the city of Marion wear face coverings in any public place such as stores, restaurants and bars when not eating or drinking, and in a public transportation including taxis, ride-share and carpooling.

It also states that individuals under the age of 2, those with medical issues, people actively engaged in a sports activity and others are exempt from the recommendation.

In early September, Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart issued an emergency proclamation requiring mask use in public spaces in Cedar Rapids. Other cities with mask mandates include Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Mount Vernon and Muscatine.

Comments: (319) 398-8255; gage.miskimen@thegazette.com