Teton County Mandates Face Coverings in Public Places to Slow COVID-19 Spread

Teton County residents will now be required to wear face coverings in public places, including within the City of Jackson, in an effort to contain the local spread of COVID-19.

The county has seen 53 cases of the virus in the past seven days and a steady increase since the beginning of June, the Teton County Health Department said in a news release Monday afternoon.

The order requires all adults to wear a face covering when inside or in line to enter any retail or commercial business or healthcare facility, or when riding in a public taxi or other public transportation.

In addition, all employees of a retail or commercial business are required to wear a face covering when interacting with the public.

"A mounting body of scientific evidence has shown that wearing a face covering in public can limit the transmission of COVID-19 from person to person," Teton District Health Officer Dr. Travis Riddell, said in the statement. "We feel that now is the time to implement this public health order so that we can confidently continue to reopen our community and serve visitors and locals."

There are multiple exceptions to the order, including for those with medical conditions who would have trouble breathing if they wore a face covering.

"Wearing a face covering is one of the many preventative public health measures, such as physical distancing and washing your hands, that we can take as a community to help slow the spread of COVID-19," Riddell said. "This is going to be truly a community wide effort to ensure we protect the most vulnerable in our community, avert further economic shutdowns, and give our healthcare system a chance to not become overwhelmed as cases rise in Teton County."

The local economy in Teton County depends heavily on tourism, and summer months mark the peak of travel to nearby Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.