Gov. Mark Gordon will not issue another statewide mask mandate and won’t require Wyoming school districts to implement one, either, he announced Wednesday.
Gordon said he is standing behind the authority of local school districts to make their own decisions about how students can return to the classroom safely.
“Wyoming was first in the nation in having a safe and successful in-person school year last year,” Gordon said. “My focus is on supporting local school boards as they take into account conditions in their community and work to assure students learn safely this year too.”
Gordon will work with the Wyoming Department of Education and the Department of Health to ensure all districts are prepared to respond to changes in local coronavirus conditions with equipment, testing and expertise.
Gordon and First Lady Jennie Gordon have both been vaccinated and encourage eligible Wyomingites to choose to be vaccinated to protect themselves, their neighbors and their families.
“As our hospitals continue to see more COVID-19 hospitalizations, and as long-term and child care facilities are forced to close due to COVID-19 infections, it is time to remember all the things we learned last year and consider getting vaccinated as the most effective way to protect yourself against severe illness,” Gordon said. “And let us not forget the Wyoming way and work to be kind to one another.”
Gordon also supported the rights of private businesses to operate in the manner they deem best. In May, he issued a directive preventing state agencies, boards and commissions from requiring “vaccine passports” to access state services and spaces.
