COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The City of Coeur d’Alene and Coeur d'Alene Fire are teaming up to do another free mask giveaway on Thursday.
The second giveaway will be held Aug. 13 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park located at 1718 North 15th Street. A drive thru will be set up in the parking lot.
At the first giveaway at Lake City High School, 2,500 masks were given out to the community. If demand remains high, more distributions may be added.
The mask giveaway was the result of a partnership between the City of Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai Health, and other agencies. The mask giveaway was the result of a partnership between the City of Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai Health, and other agencies.
According to Coeur d'Alene Fire Inspector Craig Etherton, the city had purchased about 4,000 disposable surgical face masks using funds from the federal CARES act.
Face coverings are currently required in public in Kootenai County after the board of the Panhandle Health District passed a mask mandate last month citing rising local coronavirus case rates and community spread. People exempt from wearing masks include children and those with existing health conditions.
The giveaway is being held as part of the “Stop the Spread, Wear a Mask” campaign, which began about three weeks ago as a local partnership. Kootenai County passed a mask mandate three weeks ago in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus in North Idaho.
The mask order, although legally enforceable, has since been the subject of some controversy in Kootenai County as some have publicly demonstrated against the mandate. Some have argued that face masks are ineffective and infringe on their rights.
