The Perry City Council is replacing its mask ordinance with a new one that has more exemptions. It requires residents to wear face masks while in businesses and lodging establishments. But the rule excludes churches, daycares, schools, jails, nursing homes, hospitals, and more. Councilmember Shirlie Hampton hopes people will voluntarily wear masks in many of those buildings anyway.
“This virus is not a hoax. It is highly contagious. No matter how many people wear a mask, it is not enough unless everyone wears them," Hampton says.
Officials say they reworked the original ordinance because many of the places it covered already had mask programs in place—like hospitals or nursing homes--or they fell outside the city’s jurisdiction—like schools. Not everyone on the council agrees with the move. Mayor Alan Hall says he’d prefer no mask ordinance in the city at all.
