Oregon County Exempts ‘People of Color’ from Mask Mandate

Oregon’s Lincoln County has exempted non-white people from the county’s mandate requiring face coverings in public settings.

The county announced the directive last week, citing rising cases of the novel coronavirus in the area. Under the directive, those over the age of 12 are required to wear a mask in indoor public settings, as well as outdoor areas where one cannot maintain a six-foot distance from those who are not members of their household.

However, there is a list of those who are exempt from the mandate, including “people of color who have heightened concerns about racial profiling and harassment due to wearing face coverings in public.”

Individuals with disabilities or medical conditions that would prevent them from wearing a face covering are exempt, as are children under the age of two. Children ages 2-12 are encouraged to wear a face covering, but it is not required.

The exception for “people of color” follows widespread reports of the virus disproportionately affecting the black community — a reality that has been recognized by the White House in recent months.

As Breitbart News reported in April:

Fauci said black Americans were suffering disproportionally from the virus because of existing health problems that were prevalent in black communities — such as heightened levels of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and asthma.

“We’re very concerned about it, it’s very sad, it’s nothing we can do about it right now except to try and give them the best possible care to avoid those complications,” Fauci said.

“It has been disproportional,” Trump said at the time. “They are getting hit very, very hard.”