This story has been updated.
The TriCounty Health Department made changes to it's policy regarding the wearing of face masks in public on Monday in the effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Due to a misreading of the public health order, our original story indicated that everyone in the Uintah Basin was being asked to wear a face mask when in public.
On Tuesday, Liberty Best, with the health department pointed out that everyone in that area is encouraged to wear a mask in public, but only those whose jobs make them come in contact with the public are required to wear masks. That would include jobs like a police officer, a store clerk, or a delivery person.
The revised public health order was announced last week and took effect Monday, April 20.
The order calls for:
- Face masks are required to be worn by everyone whose job requires them to come in contact and have interactions with the public.
- Medical grade face masks must be reserved for health care workers and first responders.
- Even with a mask, social distancing guidelines of staying 6 feet apart remain in place.
Best said that face masks for the general public can be anything as simple as a bandana and they are available at health department locations.
As of Tuesday, the TriCounty Health Department reported 9 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 1 hospitalization and no deaths.
