Hallam, Bennett to introduce mask requirement proposal to Allegheny County Council

People would be required to wear masks at any indoor gathering and at outdoor gatherings of more than 250 people under legislation that will be introduced at Tuesday’s Allegheny County Council meeting.

The ordinance is sponsored by council members Bethany Hallam and Olivia Bennett.

Under the legislation, those who fail to wear a mask could be fined up to $100.

If passed, it would be effective until April 30, 2022, unless council acted to repeal it sooner.

Neither Hallam nor Bennett returned messages Monday seeking comment about the proposal.

On Sunday, Hallam tweeted a photo of herself and friends at the Steelers-Bills game at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. She and her friends were not wearing masks.

Hallam in a statement to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI addressed the issue.

“I was in Buffalo and their rules are to wear a mask everywhere except in your seats,” she said. “Our cases per capita are much higher in Allegheny County so we need stricter measures to protect those who are unable to receive the vaccine, such as children and immunocompromised folks.”

The Bills’ website explains its mask policy: “Unvaccinated guests may remove their mask only when taking a sip of a drink or a bite of food. Per Erie County guidelines, masks or facial coverings are required regardless of vaccination status when visiting the indoor settings at Highmark Stadium. This includes the 100 and 300 level concourses, suites, restrooms and other enclosed spaces. Seating will not be designated by vaccination status.”

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald doesn’t comment on legislation until it has been “vetted and approved” by county council, spokeswoman Amie Downs said.

The proposal cites a 24-page document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The Science of Masking to Control Covid-19,” to support the need for the law, along with seven published reports that study the effect of wearing masks to control the spread of covid.

“Individual benefits increases with increasing community mask use,” the legislation states.

The legislation notes what it calls the “extensive politicization” of covid-related issues, including mask mandates, but states those opposed to mandates have “largely discussed the social and/or political implications” of masking, “rather than its effectiveness from a health perspective.”

It would apply to indoor spaces that aren’t single-family homes and include the common areas of apartment complexes. It defines an “outdoor public gathering” as one where more than 250 people are present.

It would be enforced by “any law enforcement agency with jurisdiction at a given location.” These agencies would be able to issue citations and a person would face a fine “not greater than $100” for not wearing a mask.

Other council members didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment about the proposal, which appears on the agenda for Tuesday’s county council meeting.

The latest covid numbers from the Allegheny County Health Department, which reflect cases reported in the past 72 hours, show 1,048 cases and three deaths. The majority of the cases, 440, are in the 25-49 age group; 137 cases involve children between ages 5 and 12.

Last week, President Biden announced sweeping new vaccine requirements that have been hotly opposed by GOP leaders.

Biden is mandating that all employers with more than 100 workers require their employees to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. It remains unclear how that mandate will be enforced. Another 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be vaccinated, as will all employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government.

On Aug. 31, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered a mask mandate for school students in Pennsylvania, a move that was contested by some students and parents in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

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