Rapid City is joining a growing number of South Dakota cities considering a mask mandate. This comes as the Rapid City School District moves online due to large numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender supports a mandate.
“I believe the Rapid City Common Council is going to convene as early as this Thursday night, where they will contemplate a city-wide mask mandate for Rapid City. I think it’s time.”
Allender admits enforcing a mandate still presents a challenge.
“But if passed, this will be a city ordinance, and we’ll have the same responsibility to enforce that as other things.”
The city council will hold a first reading of the mask mandate on Thursday.
Mayor Allender encourages people to submit public comment on the city’s website. He says the city council chamber cannot hold more than 25 people because of pandemic-related concerns.
In Brookings and Sioux Falls, public input on mask ordinances has drawn dozens of residents.
-Contact SDPB reporter Jackie Hendry by email.
