BUTTE — The Butte-Silver Bow Health Department voted to enforce a mask mandate for the county in a Tuesday night meeting. This comes as Govenor-elect Greg Gianforte has indicated he will likely roll back the statewide mask mandate.
“This is not punishment; we are actually trying to — I think our goal is pretty simple. If we can get our numbers down, then we could also reduce restrictions that all placed together in the same vein, you know, and not the idea that this is a punishment. I hope people realize that,” said District 11 Commissioner Cindi Shaw.
Community members called in to voice their thoughts on the mask mandate. While a few thought that the mandate would impede on the Governor’s power, many were in favor.
Karen Sullivan, the Butte-Silver Bow County health officer, said that vaccinations will begin soon and hoped that by late May or June things would be getting back to normal.