Adults should wear masks and set a good example for Tri-Cities school kids | Editorial

Children will be expected to wear masks when they go back to school this fall, and it’s time more adults in the Tri-Cities set a good example.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced Thursday that the state expects schools to offer face-to-face instruction when they start the new school year.

After months of online learning, this is great news for kids and parents who are anxious to see teachers and students reconnect in classrooms.

While each school district will work out the specifics of its own re-opening plan, there is one condition set by the state that is non-negotiable: students at all levels will have to wear masks on school buses and in classrooms.

That means even little kindergartners.

We hope that mask-resistant parents — and other relatives who have yet to accept the gravity of the coronavirus situation — will begin wearing face coverings in public, if only to lead the way for the kids.

As a community, we also need to step up.

We thought the recent directive to wear masks by the Benton Franklin Health District might make a significant difference.

It went into effect on Monday, June 8, along with the order by the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries, which now requires all employees to wear masks when interacting with co-workers or customers.

But judging by the number of Tri-Citians seen going mask-less this week, too many people are not taking the rules seriously.

The health district directive is not being enforced, and without teeth it is easy for people to dismiss it.

And that is a shame because the number of coronavirus cases in Benton and Franklin counties is skyrocketing. In the past week, the health district reported 367 new cases of COVID-19, all confirmed by testing. That is an average of 52 new cases each day.

“We have had a very, very large number of cases over the last seven days that have stretched our staff to the max to be able to respond quickly, respond effectively and work toward helping our community mitigate the spread,” said Rick Dawson, a senior manager for the Benton Franklin Health District.

It appears Tri-Citians are slacking. After months of complying with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order, too many have decided to disregard the social distancing guidelines that are the best way to slow the spread of the disease.

This week, the Yakima City Council ratified a proclamation that recommends citizens wear face masks. Other cities and counties around the country have done the same, and there are some that have made wearing masks a requirement, not an option.

Without enforcement, many people would say such proclamations and directives are meaningless. Perhaps, but we think it is time our community leaders start having harder conversations about what it will take to get our COVID-19 numbers down.

The mayors of the Tri-Cities, West Richland and Prosser have made video messages of encouragement during this difficult time, which is appreciated. But the community needs more than that now.

Our city and county elected leaders need to figure out a stronger, more active Tri-City campaign that will get people to wear masks, forego large gatherings and continue to stay home as much as possible so our businesses can reopen.

Like everyone else, we want our economy to restart. But that effort will stall if we can’t reduce the number of our coronavirus cases. People need to feel safe.

If school kids will be expected to wear masks during the entire school day, surely adults can manage to wear them while out shopping.

This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 12:24 PM.