Bloomington leaders on the verge of issuing mandatory mask order

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) – As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to rise in the Twin Cities, leaders in Bloomington say a mandatory mask order may not be too far down the road.

Mayor Tari Renner says, although there is a state-wide mask requirement, research shows if local governments issue their own ordinance, it helps to significantly reduce the spread of the virus. He says, the time has come where the city needs to start taking immediate action to prevent the pandemic from getting worse.

“We’re having spikes! Even though we’re a metro area of about 200,000 people, that’s still a lot of people,” said Renner. “I have yet to hear a good argument about why we shouldn’t have a mask ordinance. You do not have the right to harm other people and spread disease. That’s not a right, that has never been a right in the United States constitution, and it has never been recognized under any set of precedence.”

He says there’s a great chance a mask ordinance will be in affect by next month.