Lane: I don’t like wearing a mask, but I’m wearing one now

This is not intended to be a long-term situation. We need, for the sake of Scottsdale, to put aside any anger that may divide us, and let’s make this work.

I recently issued an emergency proclamation that mandated masks to be worn in public places in our community. This proclamation’s impact on our COVID-19 medical situation will be reviewed weekly and run through July 20.

This is to an effort to keep Scottsdale open, healthy and safe. We need to understand that COVID-19 is with us and we have a personal responsibility to protect ourselves from any viral infection. As good people and a “Golden Rule” community, we have the additional responsibility to respect the needs and fears of our fellow citizens.

As many of you know, Arizona is a designated COVID-19 contagion hotspot, with the positive test infection rate going from 5% on May 17 to a rate of 20% on June 14.

It has had the understandable corresponding effect of a continuing increasing trend in hospitalization numbers and the increasing draw down of their healthcare resources.

These facts are clearly set out on the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services website and are supported independently in conversations I have had with the CEO’s of our major local healthcare providers: HonorHealth, Mayo Clinic and Banner.

Nearly 60% of all COVID-19 infections reported have been among those under 45 years old. A group that runs between being asymptomatic to hospital cases.

They can easily infect people without knowing it.

We need to adjust and know that COVID-19 will be with us for a while yet. Our first responsibility is to keep ourselves and our families safe and keeping our city’s economy on the recovery path is part of that effort.

I would never take an action like this lightly. I study our county’s numbers and considered Scottsdale’s unique tourist industry when I weighed the prospectively positive impact this proclamation would have on our COVID-19 hotbed status versus staying the course.

Your city government has no desire to run your life. The city’s only real mission is to move us all forward together again in a working and sustainable city.

I don’t like wearing a mask. I will now. I know it is important. This isn’t a flawed projection. This is in real time. We are making an effort to address it now so we can continue to rebuild our city’s community and economy.

This is not intended to be a long-term situation. We need, for the sake of Scottsdale, to put aside any anger that may divide us, and let’s make this work.

Let us work together like the community I know we can be.

Editor’s Note: Jim Lane is the mayor of Scottsdale.