Board of Health Adds Mandatory Face Covering Language to Ada County Public Health Order
Ada County – With COVID-19 counts increasing by at least 100 cases a day in Ada County, at its regular meeting on July 14, the Central District Health Board of Health voted to add language to the existing public health order to require that face coverings be worn in public places. The addition of mandatory face coverings to the order took effect immediately and applies to Ada County only; no additional changes were made to the order.
Under the order:
Every person is required to wear a face covering that completely covers the person’s nose and mouth when the person is in a public place and others are present and physical distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained. A public place is defined as any place open to all members of the public without specific invitation, including but not necessarily limited to, retail, business establishments, government offices, medical, educational, arts and recreational institutions, public transportation, including taxi cabs and ridesharing vehicles, outdoor public areas, including, but not limited to public parks, trails, streets, sidewalks, lines for entry, exit, or service, when a distance of at least six feet cannot be maintained from any non-household member.
Facial coverings are not required to be worn under the following circumstances:
- Children under the age of 2.
- Persons with medical conditions, mental health condition, or disability that prevent them from wearing a face covering. A person is not required to provide documentation demonstrating that the person cannot tolerate wearing a face covering.
- Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, or communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
- Persons, including on-duty law enforcement officers, for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
- Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose, face, or head for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service.
- Persons who are eating or drinking at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, so long as they engage in physical distancing.
Resources for More Information
The revised order is available on the CDH website. The July 14, 2020 Board of Health meeting can be viewed on YouTube.
Daily case counts and access to CDH’s weekly data dashboard can be found on the CDH website. CDH’s call center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at 208-321-2222.