Pierce County mask advisory will be allowed to expire

ELLSWORTH – More than 50 citizens logged into the Pierce County Board’s health committee meeting Wednesday, May 12, up in arms about the public health mask-wearing advisory, vaccines, a COVID-19 investigation lead job description and how state and federal allocated funds are being spent.

Utter chaos was the theme as audio problems persisted, citizens shouted, interrupted with comments and hurled accusations. The committee had a tough time conducting its business because not many seemed inclined to follow the meeting order rules. Some public commenters refused to give their names, while others shouted over Chair Ruth Wood and Vice Chair Jon Aubart as they tried to restore order.

The day before the meeting, Public Health Officer AZ Snyder explained to The Journal that Pierce County Public Health would most likely allow the mask advisory to expire June

See BOARD OF HEAL4H, P56e 3 4. In fact, PCPH amended the advisory order Monday, May 17 to allow fully vaccinated people to forgo masks in public and indoor spaces. Employers, businesses, schools, and facilities may continue to require masks for everyone based on their own discretion.

The meeting

The meeting began with an anonymous commenter asking the board to confirm a lawsuit against it and funding its attorney with tax dollars.

“I have no knowledge of any lawsuit,” Snyder said before Aubart broke in to discount the question.

“It is inappropriate to discuss ongoing litigation during public comment,” Aubart said.

Even if there was a lawsuit, which there isn’t, the county corporation counsel advises on all county legal matters, Wood said.

“The mission of the Pierce County Office of Corporation Counsel is_to provide professional and ethical legal representation and advice, and to actively apply risk management strategies to mitigate the potential liabilities of the County” their mission statement reads.

Angie Krause, of River Falls, spoke next with a prepared statement, mirroring one read at the Ellsworth School Board Monday, May 10. She said “the mass majority of parents in the River Falls School District” have returned to their unmasked lives.

“We do not need your protection anymore nor did we in July 2020,” Krause said, her voice shaking with emotion. “It is not lawful for county or school districts to require them.”

She called the vaccines “experimental” and decried the PCPH for holding public vaccine clinics at schools. She accused PCPH of manipulating children and emotionally abusing them by requiring them to wear masks. She said those who don’t wear masks, are shamed, blamed and discriminated against.

“This is not about masks … it’s about medical freedom,” Krause said to a chorus of “Amens.”

County Board Supervisor Mel Pittman jumped in, asking Snyder if the county is getting financial incentives for promoting the vaccine. Aubart retorted that Corporate Counsel would never allow such a question during public comment. Resident Deedee Gaustad asked Aubart if he is aware of the Pierce County Code of Ethics, which she said requires all information be released when requested. Aubart explained that that is true, but the request must be made appropriately as a Freedom of Information Act request, not shouted during a sub committee meeting.

Wood instructed everyone to disregard the incentive accusations and misinformation as she tried to regain control of the virtual crowd.

“If anyone wants to hear the correct answer (to that question), you can contact Mel,” Wood said after instructing him to reach out to Snyder.

The bedlam continued as River Falls resident Rachel McCardle threw in her two cents.

“Your COVID response has been very onesided,” she said. “Public health should educate, not mandate.”

She added that public health, in her opinion, doesn’t offer education on vitamins, mental health or exercise. She was also disgusted at the disorganized meeting (although it was the public who kept breaking in).

“You are silencing voices by doing meetings online and that is absolutely unacceptable,” she said.

Before anyone could take a breath, a woman who refused to identify herself said the vaccines are “bio-genetic gene therapy” shots.

“I know exactly what they’ve done,” she shouted. “Do not push this on us or our children!”

Who “they” is wasn’t explained.

Ellsworth school district resident Melissa Petersen, mother of 10, said one person (Snyder) should not have the power to issue mask advisories.

“Most people I see are not wearing masks,” she said.

Wood broke in that if anyone would let Snyder or the board talk, they would learn that PCPH is “very likely to rescind the mask suggestion in June.” Her plea fell on deaf ears as comments bubbled forth.

Linda Auleciems of Prescott said when her family tested positive, they quarantined for the two weeks required. She said six weeks later, a contractor at her home received a notification via an app that told him her house had had a positive COVID case. Snyder reassured her that county health departments have nothing to do with those kinds of apps or notifications.

Angela Matheson, of Spring Valley, said quarantines need to be re-evaluated for next fall, since “no kids have tested positive who are sent home with symptoms.” No evidence was provided to back up this claim.

”It’s kind of difficult to be isolated from your peers that way,” Matheson said. “They’re not the super-spreaders that we’ve labeled them as.”

A woman named Roxanne asked for proof that 6 feet social distancing is effective and said masking causes anxiety, depression and suicide.

At this point, Wood lost audio and Aubart took over the meeting. When a woman demanded to know if public health would require masks for people who have colds or the flu, Aubart said her question was unreasonable. He said private businesses and churches make their own decisions on whether to require customers to mask. The woman became angry and accused Aubart of blaming private businesses for mask requirements.

“This is conjured up in people’s heads,” Aubart said. “Time to move forward.”

The crowd allowed the board to approve the first agenda item, the March 10, 2021 minutes. The board was on a roll and was almost through the 2022 Public Health staffing plan before more questions erupted about a National Association of City and County Health Officials grant that provides funds for a COVID-19 vaccination consultant. Pierce County is the fiscal agent for a consortium of public health departments in the region; the consultant benefits several counties. The grant is provided to rural and frontier health departments that tend to be understaffed, Snyder said.

COVID investigation lead job description

The crowd quieted as Snyder began speaking about the COVID-19 investigation lead job description. The position is not new; it’s currently being performed by part-time people, including nurses who left retirement, students and volunteers.

“We are required by state statute to follow up on” communicable diseases by the state epidemiologist, Snyder said. Counties do not have a choice. The health department is making the position a full-time position with benefits, because many of the part-time people filling the role want to return to retirement. The role would end when federal funding ends in October 2022, unless funding is expanded. County tax dollars are not paying for the position and it is not new, Snyder emphasized.

The position focuses primarily on contact tracing, managing cases and disease investigation, Snyder said. For the foreseeable future, that would be COVID-19 cases, but could include Lyme disease information collection or other communicable diseases, Snyder said.

The funding is coming from $700,000 in federal funding designated for Pierce County, from a pool that all counties and tribal health departments are receiving, without asking for it, based on population. The funds must be used for addressing COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Town of Oak Grove resident Sarah Palodichuk interrupted and said she hopes PCPH is not “just trying to spend money because there’s money available” and “wasting money in a way that people find is infringing on their rights.”

When Palodichuk’s comments turned back toward quarantining and alleged positive case notification via third-party apps, Aubart cut her off when she began shouting. She accused the board of not allowing public comment.

“We do allow people to comment, but not to rant and rave,” Aubart said. “The work is already being done by temporary employees.”

Resident Sarah Backlund chimed in: “You should use the money in a wiser way. Give it to the businesses who have been devastated by AZ’s restrictions. The fact that you think you can control a virus is …” “We have no control over the funds,” Aubart cut in. “Their use must meet specific criteria. They are designated for this purpose. The funding was not requested.”

Backlund ignored him and said the funding should be used to educate people.

“You’re trying to make people dependent on the government,” Backlund said. “Send them outside to get some Vitamin D because it prevents COVID.

“This all just needs to be done and go away!” she yelled before hanging up.

An identified man immediately began shouting “It’s the people’s meeting and that seems to be forgotten!”

More people began talking over each other as chaos again erupted. A woman again broke in and asked if PCPH is following the people who have had “experimental gene therapy shots,” aka the vaccine.

Snyder explained that the vaccine is not experimental nor is it gene therapy, but the anonymous woman shrieked “You’re lying, yes it is!”

Another woman asked why the board muted some people.

“Because you keep interrupting and not following the rules,” Aubart replied.

As people kept yelling to be heard over each other, Gaustad broke through and the crowd calmed as she asked about the necessity of contract tracing amid survival rates and vaccines.

“Contact tracing and investigating is NOT OPTIONAL,” Aubart emphasized. “Statute 273 requires health departments to do so. It would need to be corrected at the state level, not here. That should be more of the focus. People are fed up and I get that.”

Rawena Thomason of Prescott asked if contact tracing is here to stay. Yes, Snyder said, until the state epidemiologist stops requiring it of local health departments. Thomason then asked if Snyder’s position was also permanent; public health as been in existence in some form since 1798.

Mask advisory

“If disease continues to decrease in our county and vaccines increase, the advisory will expire,” Snyder said. “But we will recommend masks in certain situations.”

The active cases have been decreasing, despite some outbreaks, Snyder said. On April 24, Pierce had 103 confirmed cases; that decreased to 42 by May 8. As the meeting wound down, Gaustad questioned the NACCHO grant again, which Snyder said helps provides extra workforce help to assist with communications, messaging and education for those who want to get the vaccine.

Gaustad said she researched NACCHO’s mission statement online during the meeting, and wanted to make sure the grant won’t require Pierce County to “search out racism and tell everyone we’re systemically racist in Pierce County.

“That’s not the scope of the grant,” Snyder said. “Of course, we’re committed to reaching out to populations who are underserved in Pierce County. We reach out to everyone.”

Comments continued to erupt as the meeting adjourned. Wood told the disapproving crowd that meetings will hopefully be in-person soon. Snyder repeated multiple times that the meeting had ended and she needed to shut down the online portal.

“It’s very much frowned upon that you’re still doing this online,” Palodichuk said.