Face Covering Mandate In Logan To Begin Saturday

LOGAN, Utah – A mandatory face covering order in Logan will go into effect Aug. 1 after Gov. Gary Herbert gave his approval on Thursday.

Case counts are low in Logan, and city officials said the order, which requires face coverings for anyone out in public, is expected to keep it that way — especially as public schools and about 20,000 students at Utah State University return to class in the coming weeks.

Westside Coffee owner John McMorris said he has not pushed for customers to wear masks in his shop so far, but he hopes the mask order will at least take one thing off his plate. 

“Some people want us to police the mask and we really don’t want to, you know. It’s awkward,” McMorris said through his mask.

“We’re pretty thankful we are where we’re at today, other than trying to keep these masks on,” he said with a laugh. “Toughest part of my day.”

Logan Mayor Holly Daines said the mandate is all about keeping the numbers down and keeping public places safe, especially as the school year starts up again.

“I want there to be in-person learning. I want our businesses to stay open and our economy to continue going so that we don’t have these shutdowns again,” Daines said.

Utah State University is putting that same rule into effect on campus, and Daines said that sets a more consistent standard across the city.

“We just don’t want things shut down again. We’d like things to move forward. We’re in a good place right now, so let’s keep it going on that trajectory,” she added.

McMorris said the mask order is worth the inconvenience if he can keep his shop open.

“I think whatever keeps it where we can live life as normal as possible for now, keep the economy going, keep people working,” he said.

According to Daines, the mask order serves mostly as a message to the public. However, belligerent or repeat offenders could be slapped with a misdemeanor.

The mandate goes into effect at midnight on Aug. 1.