The governor may have lifted the mask mandate this week, but masks are going to be required in public areas in Pine Bluff for the time being.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced during his Tuesday news conference that he was lifting the statewide mask mandate effective immediately.
The decision was made after the governor, in consultation with Health Secretary Jose Romero, determined that Arkansas had met the covid-related guidelines the governor laid out on Feb. 26.
Local elected officials have said face coverings still will be required.
"The city of Pine Bluff will still require facial coverings for those in city buildings," Mayor Shirley Washington said Wednesday.
This mandate will pertain to all city employees and visitors who enter any building operated by the city, such as City Hall, the Aquatic Center, city-operated community centers and recreational facilities, the animal control building, police and fire facilities and others.
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson also will require the same protocol for county employees and visitors to county buildings, even though he said most of his employees already have been vaccinated.
"Everybody has not been vaccinated so we are still going to require them to wear masks," said Robinson, who added that a record of vaccinated employees will be kept. "The employees are still going to have to wear their masks until we get more and more people vaccinated."
Robinson said he didn't want to take the risk of another coronavirus outbreak. In March 2020, the courthouse closed for a week because of the virus.
After reopening, several employees either contracted the virus or were exposed to it, causing the courthouse to close for the majority of last April.
"The mask mandate won't be lifted at the office unless all the offices have been vaccinated," said Robinson. "People are still dying from covid. We cannot let our guards down. We cannot take this lightly as if covid has left, and then we'll find that we'll have another surge in this disease. That's not what we want."
Although the state mandate has been lifted, businesses still have the right to require customers to wear masks, and the governor has asked that Arkansans respect these requirements.
"I've talked to a number of restaurant owners who will continue requiring masks within their restaurant for the safety of their employees and patrons," Hutchinson said. "Please be respectful and mindful that, while the mask mandate has been lifted, many businesses will continue to require it."
Washington said she is encouraging businesses and organizations to retain similar requirements in their facilities and urges all residents to continue wearing masks when in public.
"This is based on advice from the CDC and Arkansas Health Department, advising individuals to keep wearing masks in these circumstances," said Washington. "The governor supported this approach [Tuesday] by encouraging Arkansans to respect mask policies in their own communities, despite the statewide mandate being lifted."
"Someday, our need for masks will end. But that day has not yet come," said Washington. "Until then, we must remain patient and follow health advice."
Last week, Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. said he would continue requiring his employees to wear masks, even if the governor lifted the mandate.
