Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle said any mask mandate isn’t enforceable because they can’t prove someone does — or does not — have a medical condition preventing them from wearing a mask.
The sheriff said he personally felt it was an individual’s choice to wear a mask and he and the rest of the department will respect the mandate.
His statement came just hours before Gov. Mark Gordon issued a statewide mask mandate requiring mask use for everyone (with exceptions for people with medical conditions) in public spaces at least until early January.
However, Grossnickle said he and the department would not condone or endorse people acting recklessly, and they continue to encourage the residents of Sweetwater County to continue being responsible when it comes to the pandemic, and everything else.
“Mutual respect and personal responsibility cannot be mandated, and I know without a doubt that our citizens have the intelligence and integrity to recognize and appreciate the difference,” Grossnickle concluded.
