Ralston city council considering a mask mandate

Omaha, NE — Ralston could be the next city to put in a mask mandate in Nebraska.

Thursday, a special meeting was put together to discuss it.

If it's passed the mask mandate would go into effect next Wednesday right before the holiday weekend.

As of now, the mask mandate is actually word for word the same one we've seen enacted in Omaha.

"I'm not opposed to the masks, don't get me wrong, but as we go about this we have to make sure that what we're trying to do is really something that's going to help us curve this," says Jerry Krause, Ralston city council president.

An emergency meeting.

To talk about one thing, requiring people in Ralston to wear a mask.

The newly formed Ralston board of health included Mayor Don Groesser, city council members, the Ralston police chief, and a member of the healthcare community.

"If we continue the course right now there are going to be patients who don't get that care and who are going to die. And we also will not be able to take care of patients who have heart disease, patients who have strokes, patients who have cancer, patients who are in car accidents," says Dr. Alex Dworak, who works at UNMC.

The Ralston mask mandate was taken word for word from the one in Omaha.

Officials said they wanted to be consistent.

Rick Hoppe, Ralston city administrator says, "We're surrounded on 3 sides by Omaha and I don't necessarily understand why or how the barrier of 72nd street and Harrison street protects us from COVID. It shouldn't matter what side of the street you're on as to whether you need to wear a mask."

Violation of the mandate would be a $25 fine although the city police say they hope it wouldn't come to that.

Mayor Groesser says the city is getting to the point where everyone knows someone who died from coronavirus, so now may be the time to act.

"I really do like the idea of a daily reminder of where we are and what we're doing and how we can keep ourselves safe," says Groesser.

The city council will vote on the mandate on Monday.

Mayor Groesser also says he's been in talks with the mayors of Papillion and La Vista and he believes those cities are also not far behind in potentially issuing a mask mandate.