Denton City Council Votes To Rescind Face Mask Mandate
DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The Denton City Council has approved rescinding an area mask mandate. Officials say they made the move following updated guidance and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The action, effective March 1, removes all universal masking requirements in the City of Denton. The requirements were put in place through a series of Orders of Council last year. Leaders say the masking requirement was one of the measures taken to slow the pandemic in Denton.
A statement from the City said, in part, "From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council relied on the guidance of the local, state, and national health officials, including the CDC. On Feb. 25, the CDC eased recommendations relating to the indoor use of masks. The new guidelines focus on a community's new COVID-19 hospitalizations, inpatient beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients, and new COVID-19 case numbers."
According to the new guidelines, Denton County currently falls in the CDC's "medium" risk category which doesn't require the universal use of masks indoors.
Even with rescinding the mandate, Denton officials are encouraging the community to help mitigate the spread of the virus by following practices recommended by the CDC and their personal healthcare provider.