BFHD Health Director issues mandatory mask directive

KENNEWICK, Wash.- Benton and Franklin Counties continue to see a sharp rise in Coronavirus cases.

To that end, Dr. Amy Person of the Benton-Franklin Health District is issuing a directive for everyone in the area to wear a mask while in any business, beginning Monday.

"If any individual does not wear a mask, they should not be allowed inside a business", Dr. Person said. "This mirrors the rule the governor made in Yakima."

Dr. Person made the announcement this [Wednesday] afternoon along side local elected officials to urge the community to use facial coverings while in public to the number of COVID-19 cases goes down and the area will be able to move into Phase 2 of re-opening.

Some attribute the rise in cases to increased testing. But Person with the compares us to Kitsap County, that tests about as much as we do.

"Over the last couple of weeks, they've averaged three cases a day", Dr. Person noted, "we're averaging 45 cases a day, so it's not just testing, it's disease that we are seeing in our community and it's disease that we need to do something about."

A day after the Benton-Franklin Health District reported an encouraging 39 new COVID-19 cases, the area saw one of the biggest one-day totals so far. 205 cases reported Wednesday, 147 in Benton and 68 in Franklin; now over 3500 since the pandemic hit our area.