Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Vohra Makes Face Masks Voluntary After Supervisors Push Back
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 4 years ago on
May 20, 2020

Share

Dr. Rais Vohra, interim Fresno County health officer, is amending his early order requiring all residents to wear cloth face masks while shopping or indoors at work.

Instead, county residents are encouraged to wear face coverings in those situations.

Vohra’s original order, which was signed Monday but didn’t become public until today, generated pushback from Fresno County District 2 Supervisor Steve Brandau and other supervisors.

Brandau vowed to fight the original order — and succeeded.

“Please note that the masking guidance in the updated Health Officer Order is a recommendation, NOT a mandate. We are in the process of clarifying the language … from ‘All residents shall use cloth masks ….’ to ‘All residents should use cloth masks,’ ” Fresno County spokesman Jordan Scott said in a news release.

“While this masking guidance is not a mandate, we continue to urge the public to voluntarily comply with the masking recommendations in the interests of public health and safety and to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

The Centers for Disease Control recommend cloth face coverings as an “additional, voluntary public health measure” to contain the spread of CVOID-19.

However, the city of Los Angeles, made cloth masks mandatory for anyone shopping or working in early April.

Reason for the Order

Vohra said the order is to help slow the spread of novel coronavirus. Specifically, situations where social distancing is not maintained due to social spacing or professional conditions.

Adults with respiratory illnesses, certain medical conditions, and children under 12 years old are excused from face coverings due to suffocation risk. The order says they should still comply with social distancing of at least 6 feet from others outside their households.

Through 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, Fresno County had 1,287 confirmed coronavirus cases, 160 hospitalizations, and 17 deaths.

The county is seeking clearance from state officials to proceed with opening up the economy — including opening dine-in restaurants and all retail stores.

Fresno County Supervisor Pushes Back

Brandau responded to Vohra’s original order in a Facebook video.

“The Board of Supervisors, in conversations, has made clear that we do not support that (mandatory face masks), and yet it’s in the order,” Brandau said.

Brandau said that board members were working behind the scenes to amend the order. It should be voluntary, not mandatory, he said.

He said the mandatory order was unfair to small businesses: “If you put those restrictions upon them, some customers are simply going to order those products online.”

https://www.facebook.com/Steve4Fresno/videos/599560410915768/

 

[covid-19-tracker]

DON'T MISS

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

DON'T MISS

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

DON'T MISS

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

DON'T MISS

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

DON'T MISS

California Law Enforcement Agencies Obstruct Transparency Efforts in Use-of-Force Cases

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Tackles Animal Overpopulation with New Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program

DON'T MISS

No Police Charges for Taylor Swift’s Dad Over Paparazzi Incident in Sydney

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

DON'T MISS

Tonight’s Biden Fundraiser With Obama and Clinton Already Nets a Record $25 Million

DON'T MISS

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

No data was found

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

7 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

7 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

7 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

7 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

7 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

8 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

8 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

9 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

11 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

12 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

5 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
5 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

6 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

6 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

7 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

7 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

7 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

7 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

7 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend