Download a copy of the order here.

August 20, 2021

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall today used the executive powers of the Office of the Mayor to issue an order requiring that masks be worn in K-12 schools in Salt Lake City. 

“As Mayor it is my responsibility to do everything I can to keep our City, and our school district, from going down the tragic and dangerous path many others are already on. With the health of our children, our community, and our healthcare workers in mind, I am issuing this order,” Mayor Mendenhall said. “Kids under 12 can’t get vaccinated but are required to be indoors in school all day. In our county, only 50% of kids between 12 and 17 are vaccinated. That’s just not enough to protect these kids, their families, and the community at large.” 

The City Attorney’s office conducted a detailed and thorough legal analysis of the Mayor’s options and determined it is within her legal capacity to declare this local emergency and issue orders related to it to protect public health and safety. 

“I am fully confident in their findings,” Mayor Mendenhall said. 

The order requires all staff, visitors, members of the public, teachers, and students attending kindergarten through grade 12 at a public, charter, or private school in Salt Lake City, to wear a face mask when in any indoor area of the premises, on school-provided transportation, or attending an indoor school-sponsored activity, or outdoors on school premises when social distancing is not possible.

There are exceptions in the order for individuals with specific medical conditions. Other exceptions to wearing a mask include:

• While outdoors if the individual is maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from any other individual from a separate household; 
• While actively eating or drinking, provided that the individual remains in place while eating or drinking; 
• While alone or only with other members of the same household in a room, cubicle, school-provided transportation, or similar enclosure; 
• When communicating with an individual who is deaf or hard of hearing if:
  • Communication cannot be achieved through other means; and 
  • The speaker wears a face shield or uses alternative protection such as a plexiglass barrier; 
• While obtaining or providing a service that requires the temporary removal of the face mask, such as speech therapy services; 
• While actively performing as an athlete at a school organized or school sponsored athletic event; 
• While exercising or engaging in athletic training while: 
  • Outdoors; or 
  • Indoors and maintaining at least six feet of physical distance from any other individual from a separate household; 
• While swimming or on duty as a lifeguard; or
• While rehearsing for or giving an educational, artistic, cultural, musical, or theatrical presentation or performance for an audience at a school. 

The order will take effect immediately and be ongoing for thirty days unless an extension is authorized by the Salt Lake City Council by resolution or it is otherwise terminated.

###