By Patrick Adrian
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
WEATHERSFIELD, Vt. — Weathersfield residents will be required to wear masks when entering public buildings due to concerns about rising cases of the novel coronavirus in the community.
At a special meeting on Monday the Weathersfield Selectboard, by a majority voice vote, authorized a 30-day mandate requiring the public to wear masks when entering publicly-owned buildings, including Martin Memorial Hall; the Weathersfield-Proctor Library; the 1879 Schoolhouse; the Weathersfield Highway Garage; and the Weathersfield and Ascutney Fire Stations.
The mandate does not apply directly to town employees or private businesses. However, town employees are expected to wear a mask when conducting business with the public or interacting with others within a spatial proximity less than six feet.
Additionally, the selectboard said they encourage business owners to recommend the wearing of masks and other health and safety practices inside their businesses.
Weathersfield, a town of approximately 2,760 residents, has reported approximately 131 cases of the virus since March 5. Between 11 and 22 cases were reported during the past two weeks, or an infection rate of 41-80 cases per 10,000 people, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
“We need to wonder why our cases are rising, which they are,” said Selectboard Chair David Fuller. “I don’t know if it’s because our population is more mobile now or because we don’t care anymore. But that doesn’t fix the problem.”
The town offices have had to close on two recent occasions, once in September and most recently on Tuesday, Nov. 23, due to office employees being exposed to the virus inside the building. Fuller acknowledged that masks in themselves offer limited protection and strongly recommended additional health and safety practices such as social distancing and maintaining hygiene.
Residents are also encouraged to help reduce traffic at the town offices by either scheduling appointments or using the town’s online business services in lieu of in-person visits.
“If cases keep rising, by doing nothing we are probably going to invite the governor to invoke another state of emergency, in which he will do [the mask requirement for us],” Fuller said.
The mandate received some oppositional concern from town employees, particularly in respect to a masking requirement for the employees.
Town Manager Brandon Gulnick said he felt masking should be optional. The town office has demonstrated an effective safety protocol that includes plexiglass dividers between employees and the public; practicing social distancing; and encouraging employees to stay home when feeling symptomatic.
Principal Clerk Olivia Savage, speaking against the need to mandate masking, noted that the statistical risks of the novel coronavirus were relatively low and cited the 97% recovery rate.
Selectman Paul Tillman, while acknowledging the low fatality rate, noted that the virus has other major impacts, including the “ripple effect” on people’s livelihoods due to the virus’s long duration.
Tillman, who previously had the virus, said it took him six weeks to fully recover from the infection and both he and his wife had to quarantine for 14 days. Many families are not fortunate to still receive pay during their medical leave, Tillman noted.
Board members said they have a responsibility as elected officials to prioritize the health and safety of the residents and town employees.
“I would sooner err on the side of caution than, god forbid, someone gets really sick and dies, and we realize we did nothing to prevent that,” Tillman said.
The town library already requires indoor masking. According to library trustees, the library had opted to continue requiring mask-wearing when the selectboard had previously given town departments the option to lift the requirement.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.