Despite a request from the public, don’t expect Arlington County Board members to again slap on face masks at their meetings, or mandate others to do so.
The issue bubbled up at the public-comment portion of the March 16 County Board public hearing, at which a speaker complained that not enough focus was being paid to lingering COVID cases and the impacts on those with symptoms associated with “long COVID.”
Community leaders could help by donning respiratory masks while in public spaces, such as the board meetings, the speaker said.
His comments didn’t seem to sway board members, all of whom were mask-free and remained so.
“I’m not prepared to require masks at this point,” said County Board member Libby Garvey, a response that seemed to be somewhat vague about what the future might hold (and also wasn’t quite was the speaker was requesting.
“We do have masks [available], and if people would like to wear them, they certainly are welcome to do so,” Garvey said, promising to publicize those points more often going forward.
(None of her four board colleagues opted to offer opinions on the matter.)
For 15 months after the arrival of COVID in March 2020, County Board meetings largely were conducted online, with members participating either from their homes or county-government offices. When the in-person meetings resumed, attendees who had received COVID vaccinations were given the option to go mask-free, while those without inoculations were asked to either wear masks or participate virtually.
At the March 16 meeting, Garvey said she does wear masks when feeling ill, and suggested others do the same.
