Pedestrians cross the intersection of Northwestern Avenue and State Street, Tuesday, March 2, 2021 in West Lafayette. Staff photo by Nikos Frazier
WEST LAFAYETTE – When the West Lafayette City Council unanimously approved a mask mandate six months ago, Mayor John Dennis thought by the time the mandate expired, life would be back to normal.
That, Dennis said Tuesday, obviously did not happen.
Thwarting the spread of COVID-19 is still paramount, the mayor said, despite recent drops in positivity rates and the distribution of vaccines. Therefore, during Monday night's council meeting, leaders decided to allow the mandate to extend another six months.
Wearing masks, he said, have become normal behavior for the vast majority of residents of West Lafayette, the first city in Indiana to issue such a mandate.
Normal doesn't mean total acceptance, and city leaders still face occasional backlash from their decision. Criticism comes via emails, phone calls, shouts across the street and, in at least one instance, with a black marker across gray cloth.
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