Mayor kills mandatory mask order for St. Joseph after Council vote

Ten.") waking up wednesday morning in st.

Joseph?

-- then you can leave your mask at home.

Thanks for joining us - i'm alan van zandt the city order requiring face masks in st.

Joseph lifted after a debate and decision at tonight's regular council meeting.

Here's kq2's madeline mcclain with more.

<<starting wednesday -- masks won't be required in the city of st.

Joseph.natsáá yes-no vote.the mayor issued a public mask order for st.

Joseph back in september.but at the city council meeting monday a split 5-4 vote killed the order 3 weeks before it was set to expire.marty novak, city councilmember: "if people want to wear masks they can do so voluntarily it's just not going to be mandated.

That's what this step did tonight."

With covid-19 hospitalizations, cases and deaths finally in control -- councilmember marty novak asked the mayor to repeal the existing mask order.marty novak, city councilmember: "you can't mandate people to do things forever.//we need to put the responsibility back on individuals.

"while 4 council members agreed -- four including the mayor did not.

Mayor bill mcmurray, city of st.

Joseph: "we don't want to give up when we are so close to victory."councilmembers raising the concern that only 13 percent of the county have received at least one covid-19 vaccine shot.trailing the state and nation's vaccination rate by about 10 percent.mayor bill mcmurray, city of st.

Joseph: as one person said, "we're at our own 13-yard line.

It's not time to spike the ball.

We are not even close to the end zone."despite the mayor's reservations -- the council majority and lifting the mask order -- effective wednesday.mayor bill mcmurray, city of st.

Joseph: "if the numbers spike again, we are going to be in a really tough in what we are going to have to people will voluntarily continue to observe these risk management protocols and keep reporting madeline mcclain kq2 news.

The order does not repeal mask requirements by an individualbusiness owner, hospitals or school districts.

In addition to st.

Joseph eliminating it's mask mandate, city leaders in maryville have decided the same.

Their mask mandate ends at midnight