Galen Kusic, Editor

The issue of mandated face coverings in closed public spaces has been a contentious debate in Benicia. The City has received many emails requesting that the City mandate the wearing of face coverings. Currently, the shelter-at-home orders for Solano County and the State of California do not mandate face coverings, but it is strongly recommended.

Recently, the Solano County Supervisors voted down a mandate for the county, 3-2, with Supervisors Monica Brown and Skip Thomson voting for the mandate.

Individual cities may adopt stronger regulations than the State or County in this area, so the City of Benicia has authority to mandate the wearing of face coverings, but it was shot down at the May 26 special council meeting, 3-2.

Mayor Elizabeth Patterson and Councilmember Steve Young supported the mandate while Vice Mayor Christina Strawbridge and Councilmembers Tom Campbell and Lionel Largaespada voted no.

Vallejo, the city with the most cases in Solano County at 293, voted unanimously for a mandate, but Benicia will remain without one for now.

“Thank you to Mayor Patterson and Councilmember Young for supporting face coverings,” said Brown. “Thank you as well to all members of the Vallejo City Council for requiring face coverings. It is extremely important that we wear face coverings when we are around other people to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The Benicia council will proceed with an e-mail and sign campaign to strongly encourage all businesses to require masks and for residents to also wear masks when in closed public spaces or around crowds of people. It was agreed that if infections increase due to the reopening, the mandate will be revisited at the June 16 meeting and the data will be re-analyzed.

“I think it’s time lost and we’re going to regret it,” said Patterson.

Numerous residents wrote into the mayor strongly urging the city to require the mandate, but councilmembers not in favor of the mandate cited that enforcing the new rule would put an undue burden on city staff, police and business owners.

“I’m concerned about it being on the city’s back,” said Strawbridge. “There are people who don’t believe in this at all, and they will I believe take this to the max. This has become a political issue for them. Nobody’s gonna tell them what to do.”

Strawbridge noted that without leadership from President Trump and the political battle ensuing, the answer is “to educate over regulate.” Strawbridge suggested putting a sign in the window for businesses, but not requiring all businesses to require masks, leaving the decision up to the consumer if they wish to enter or not.

“I’m not going to support a mandate,” she said. “I think there are other ways to go about this without the enforcement that’s not going to be there.”

Young, who proposed the mandate, noted that Benicia is “out of step” with the greater Bay Area by not simply requiring masks in places of business.

“I think it’s such a small thing to ask of people to put on a mask or face covering when they go into a store,” said Young. “They are protecting not only the rest of us, they are protecting the workers in that store, many of whom are lower wage (earners). I think it’s a matter of not only community health, but respect.”

Young called out Solano County for being the only county in the Bay Area that has not required face coverings in enclosed public spaces. The data clearly shows that Solano County’s numbers are significantly rising, with 517 confirmed cases and 22 deaths since the pandemic began. While testing has increased, that number has risen from just 21 positive cases on March 23, just over two months ago. Benicia currently has 23 positive cases.

“This ordinance should have nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with science and morality. The research on the subject is very clear,” said resident Larnie Fox. “My wife Bodil started a grassroots organization to distribute hand-sewn cloth masks to frontline healthcare workers and their clients, and to date we have distributed 7,471 masks to 74 facilities, sewn by our tireless local mask makers. I can assure you that the medical professionals we have been dealing with would want you to pass this commonsense ordinance. They do not want to see Benicia residents in their hospitals and emergency rooms, in their ICUs, or taking up space on their ventilators.”

Patterson suggested to monitor the infections within seven days of restaurants opening within Benicia. She also observed that about 50 percent or less of people downtown are currently wearing face coverings.

“I think it’s a real problem in messaging,” she said. “I would be comfortable in making sure our message is we expect you to care about others…I would like that to be Benicia’s message, not the wild west.”

While some residents were not in favor of the face covering mandate due to breathing issues and the potential for more crime, many residents were adamant that it is essential to slowing the spread.

“Shoes and shirts are required for some businesses seems sensible – not unconstitutional, but wearing masks during a pandemic is so critically obvious: safety first for all,” said residents Pete and Colleen Higgins.