ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — As Lincoln County announced a mask mandate will go into effect on Friday, the county in between it and St. Louis County, will continue without one.
St. Charles County is one of the few in the area that does not have a mask mandate in effect. The county executive has repeatedly said he doesn't think county government should tell people what to do.
St. Charles County's seven-day positivity rate for COVID-19 is at 28.16%, according to the health department dashboard. In St. Louis County, the seven-day positivity rate is at 18.4%, according to its dashboard.
On Wednesday, St. Charles County reported seven new deaths related to COVID-19 for a total of 244 deaths. The county reported 24,754 total cases.
5 On Your Side reached out to St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann after Lincoln County announced it would put a mask mandate in place beginning Friday, here's what Elhmann said regarding masks in St. Charles County:
“I’d like to see people wear a mask, social distance, avoid big crowds, limit groups…do all of those things, and do them voluntarily. I have said numerous times that I don’t think County Government should tell people what to do. Everyone needs to act responsibly and all businesses need to follow recommended guidelines – and the majority of them do. But if some continue to not follow the guidelines, and the number of hospitalizations continue to increase as they have recently, then County government may have to step in with further restrictions.”
Mask mandates have been in effect for St. Louis and St. Louis County since July. Franklin and Jefferson counties also require masks in public.
A statewide mask mandate is in effect in Illinois.
