No County fines for not wearing masks

At a special meeting last Thursday, the Skagit County Board of Health decided against an ordinance imposing civil penalties for not wearing masks, a violation of county health orders for stopping the spread of COVID-19. A Jan. 20 public hearing for comments was canceled. The board agreed on the measures unanimously.

The decisions reverse the Board’s Dec. 22 decision to impose fines.

Public Health Director Jennifer Johnson expressed concern that the proposed $50 fine would fuel public anger and reduce compliance with mask wearing, social distancing and limits of people in business spaces. “Now is a time when Public Health needs to be building trust and support in our community,” she said.

“The timing for this is not right,” Commissioner Lisa Janicki stated in a Jan. 15 press release. “This proposal has captured a lot of public interest, and it’s clear that the public does not want this code adopted. I see no reason to move forward.”

County Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Leibrand told the Weekly News Sunday that Public Health’s early December idea for civil fines was “not very well thought out,” that it came at a time of frustration at the increasing rates of infection, with staff seeking tools for violations of the governor’s mask wearing rule.

Leibrand said the Commissioners received a lot of emails against the ordinance, some of them threatening. The Board made its decision before the Jan. 6 Capitol Building insurrection he said and while the underlying threat did not have much to do with the decision,” the whole attitude behind the insurrection had something to do with it.”

He reflected that “a confrontation (with an unmasked belligerent person) is so much more risky” for possible spread of the novel coronavirus than ignoring an unmasked person in a public place.

“We really haven’t lost anything that we currently have;” he said, “but we toned it down a bit, turned the heat down a bit.” Leibrand pointed out that Skagit County has one of the best compliance rates in the state, and the state has a good compliance rate. He noted that La Conner led with its ordinance last spring.

Leibrand and Johnson agreed that Public Health priority was now on vaccinating county residents. Johnson said in the release, “As we shift to focusing on vaccinations, it’s important that Public Health builds trust and support within the community over all else. I agree with the Board’s decision.”

“As long as we can get more vaccine we have another method to protect people,” said Leibrand.