Mask complaints, responses winding down for two Northwest Arkansas cities

Two cities in Northwest Arkansas that still have mask mandates have received few, if any, complaints about violators since vaccines became widely available.

Fayetteville adopted an ordinance in June requiring face coverings in most indoor public places. Businesses must provide masks to customers, and anyone who declines to wear a mask is to be denied entry. The city has been providing disposable masks to businesses for free.

Rogers adopted its mandate in July saying police would help businesses that want to require masks inside. Patrons can either put a mask on or leave.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson lifted the state's mask mandate March 30 while simultaneously announcing every resident 16 and older was eligible to receive a vaccine. Cities were given the option to keep their local mandates.

Fayetteville set up a hotline for businesses to call if they encountered maskless customers who would not leave. It's been several weeks since the Police Department received any complaints on the hotline or otherwise, said Sgt. Anthony Murphy.

"We would respond to complaints and just go out and educate people, like hey put your mask on," he said. "The businesses are mandated to have people wear them, so if they're asked to leave the business and they won't leave, they're criminal trespassing."

Fayetteville's Fire Department has been in charge of distributing masks to businesses. Battalion Chief Jeremy Ashley, a city fire marshal, said the department probably doled out five times as many masks as the 80,000 residents living in the city.

There are still about 100,000 free masks left for businesses to take. Even if the City Council amends or drops its mask ordinance, the Fire Department will make the masks available, Ashley said.

"We've not given out as many in the last four to six weeks as we were during the prime time," he said.

The Rogers ordinance never had a mandated enforcement aspect, city spokesman Peter Masonis said. However, the city fielded calls from concerned residents who encountered maskless people in public places. It's been weeks since the city has gotten such a call, he said.

"I think businesses are kind of slowly letting it go," Masonis said. "There's still a mandate, but we're very encouraged by the direction we're heading, and hopefully we can move onto some sort of level of normal here."

Hutchinson on Thursday announced he would let the state's emergency declaration related to the pandemic expire May 30. A state law that would invalidate any local mask mandates is set to take effect July 28, barring any legal challenges.

Rogers plans to consider rescinding its mask mandate at Tuesday's City Council meeting. Mayor Greg Hines has said the plan is to have the mandate end on the last day of school Thursday.

Kit Williams, Fayetteville's city attorney, on Friday prepared a revision of the city's mask ordinance that the City Council will discuss Tuesday during its agenda-setting session. The revision makes changes to the ordinance rather than repealing it and is written to stay in effect until July 28.

The city Board of Health drafted a number of recommendations in light of new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying fully vaccinated people can go maskless without practicing social distancing in most circumstances. The revised city proposal incorporates those recommendations and would have a mask mandate apply only to people who are not fully vaccinated, Williams said in a memo to the City Council.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan has said he does not expect businesses to check if customers have been fully vaccinated. However, the revised proposal encourages residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

About 33%, or 66,147, residents 12 and older in Washington County were fully vaccinated as of Friday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. Another 9%, or 18,732, have gotten a first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The county's 12 and older population is 200,760. People 12 and older can receive the Pfizer shot. Those 18 and older can get the Moderna or one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

In Benton County, about 32%, or 74,873, of the eligible population of 231,247 are fully vaccinated. Another 9%, or 21,186, have gotten a first shot only.

Statewide, 34%, or 869,356 of 2,557,248 eligible residents, are fully vaccinated. Another 9%, or 240,125, have received one shot only.

Washington County had 119 active covid-19 cases on Friday. Benton County had 238.

So far, covid-19 has killed 769 people in the two counties.