75-80 percent of town employees not vaccinated
With the Delta Variant raging across the nation, the Highlands Town of Commissioners called a special called meeting where they unanimously voted to mandate masks in all indoor town facilities.
Mayor Patrick Taylor said the meeting was called following the guidance of Gov. Roy Cooper.
“The governor requested all municipalities to consider reinstating the mask requirements in all indoor town facilities,” Taylor said. “Let me be clear, this is not a mandate for any private businesses. That might happen with the governor later on in the fall, but we would have to look at that later on and see how we can comply with what the governor is asking for.”
The town facilities that the mask mandate would be enforced include the town hall, the recreation center, the community building, the police department, the fire department, the ABC Store and any other government building.
“Here at the rec park, it might be hard to enforce if they are playing basketball,” Taylor said. “But then you have a bridge club sitting around a table playing cards and in a room with a hundred people. Those are kind of the judgement things that we would make.”
Commissioner Amy Patterson said if they were to not mandate masks, they would be sending the wrong message to the community.
“I think if we don’t mandate it then it sends the wrong message saying it’s OK to not wear a mask,” Patterson said. “It really is important to wear a mask. Especially if you are not vaccinated but even if you are, because of this Delta Variant.”
Commissioner Brian Stiehler agreed with the mask mandate, stating that the town should follow the guidance of the governor.
According to town manager Josh Ward, approximately 80 percent of the town’s employees are not vaccinated.
“There are only 20 to 25 percent that are vaccinated,” Commissioner John Dotson said. “I just want to vocalize that.”
Taylor said it is important for those unvaccinated workers to wear a mask.
“They are working indoors, with people,” Taylor said. “If they are going to be doing that and not be vaccinated then they need to wear a mask.”
Stiehler said there are a lot of people that don’t care about COVID-19 in the town.
“There are so many people that are not worried and take no precaution whatsoever,” Stiehler said. “It’s unfortunate, but it is just the reality of it. I think it is everything from women being afraid of reproductive problems to people worried about microchips, I’ve heard it all.”
Currently in the Highlands Police Department, there are only two vaccinated. One being the chief.
“I’m not trying to be negative towards my department at all, I’ll be the first to admit that myself and one other are the only ones that got vaccinated,” HPD Chief Andrea Holland said. “I have tried and tried and tried. Their excuse is that they don’t know what the vaccine is going to do in the future. My comment I say back is that if they get COVID, they don’t know what’s going to happen in the future either. I hate to say this, but as far as why some of the people in the department aren’t taking it seriously is because we have not seen someone in this area get seriously sick. It hasn’t hit close to home.”
The board voted unanimously to make the mask mandate effective on Tuesday, Aug. 3.
By Christopher Smith