LEWIS COUNTY, Wash. — Lewis County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to exempt county employees from future mask mandates enacted by state or federal officials.
“The will of the people right now, they're not for mandates," said Commissioner Sean Swope, who introduced the resolution.
Swope said commissioners voted, unanimously, to leave mask use up to individuals.
Despite a recent rise in COVID-19 cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control, a spokesperson for Governor Jay Inslee said there are no discussions at the state level to return to mask mandates.
The resolution claimed there is no evidence mandates prevented the spread of COVID-19, according to a Cochrane Library study.
But Rachel Sims, public information officer with the Washington Department of Health, said “Masks can help protect you and others from COVID-19 when worn consistently and correctly.”
Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk said the study cited in the resolution has been criticized.
“False claims about medical interventions undermine the first clause’s claim of respect for the personal choices of individuals to protect themselves," Faulk said.
Faulk said county resolutions do not supersede state law.
Swope acknowledged that was the case but said if mask mandates return, he expects the case to go to court.
“I believe our legal team would have strong points to say that, ‘No we don’t need a mandate. We need to be able to do things and allow people to make their own personal health decisions,” Swope said.
The Lewis County Health Department did not respond to questions about the resolution.