Western Will Implement Temporary Mask Mandate

Western Will Implement Temporary Mask Mandate

SweetwaterNOW file photo

ROCK SPRINGS — The Western Wyoming Community College (WWCC) Board of Trustees passed a motion mandating mask wearing for 30 days and authorizing the administration to complete COVID-19 testing when deems it appropriate.

During a WWCC special meeting this evening, the board voted to implement a mask mandate for the next 30 days. They also decided that COVID-19 testing should be done whenever administration deems it appropriate to do so. Currently, Western has six confirmed COVID-19 positive cases, four students and two employees.

Prior to listening to public comment, the board listened to Sweetater County Public Health Officer Dr. Jean Stachon and Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County CEO Irene Richardson give updates on Sweetwater County’s COVID-19 numbers and testing.

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Richardson told the trustees the hospital is seeing an increase in COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 related patients seeking treatment in the emergency room and inpatient services. Dr. Stachon said the county has seen a 100 percent increase in cases in the last two weeks. Usually there is a two week lag time between a spike in the number of residents being tested and the hospital seeing more COVID-19 related hospitalizations.

Trustee Dr. Veronica Donaldson, who is a pharmacist, said as the minimum the college needs to require a mask mandate. She said this is a serious virus and the college must take it seriously. The whole goal of the mask mandate is to keep the college open for in-person class.

“We want to keep our community college safe,” Donaldson said.

Trustee James Jessen said the board didn’t have to make a decision tonight and they could think about it for a couple more weeks and make a decision at its next board meeting. However, he was in favor of a 30 day limit if a mask mandate was needed.

Trustee Kenneth Lorimer said with the college unaware of how many students and staff are vaccinated, by the time three weeks goes by without a mask mandate and before the college can host a vaccination clinic, they could already have an issue. Classes officially started this week at the college.

Donaldson said she wanted to make it clear the goal of the board is to keep the college open for in-person learning and they are not looking to shut the campus down.

The board also agreed students and employees should participate in a survey to find out just how many have already been vaccinated.

Richardson told the board if the college would like to host a vaccination clinic sooner, the hospital would be happy to help.

Public Comment

Prior to the board making its motion, students and employees were allowed to comment.

Ryan Desmond, Western student, said the college could not only mandate masks, but vaccinations since the FDA approved Pfizer this week. He felt vaccinations should be mandatory just like measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine or any other vaccines required to attend college.

Western student Gavin Patterson said he and other students are concerned that a mask mandate would lead the college down the path of eventually moving everything online again, which is not what the students want. He believes if the college goes toward mask wearing, it will then move online classes and that will decrease enrollment.

Western Professor Katrina Marcos said if the college doesn’t implement a mask mandate, she felt it would only be a matter of time before they moved to online classes. She spoke in favor of a mask mandate so classes could remain in person.

A Student Government Association representative stated the majority of students are in favor of wearing masks if that means they can still attend in-person college.

After all of the discussion, the board agreed it can review the issue any time it needed to. They would be willing to host special meetings in addition to regular meetings if they needed to address more COVID-19 related issues.