PHOENIX, Ore. – Governor Kate Brown made mask compulsory for indoor use earlier this month. However, some Rogue Valley residents say this is still not enforced in many businesses. “It would be disastrous for me,” said Ramona Saltzer, a Phoenix resident. For Saltzer, this could mean not wearing a mask in public. The 83-year-old has lived in Rogue Valley for 5 years. She spends most of the day tending her garden and spending time with her grandchildren. “Try to have an underlying disease, or maybe you’ll get Covid and end up in the hospital. I don’t want that,” said Saltzer. Saltzer was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago. When Covid hit, she became extra cautious about her situation. She takes medication daily because of her condition, masks herself when she leaves, and restricts her gatherings to protect herself. “It’s so easy to have a mask and put it on when you go out in public. You not only protect yourself, but also other people around you,” Saltzer said. This week she was shopping at Rays Food Place in Phoenix. She says staff were masked but she saw several people without masks despite Governor Brown’s statewide mandate. “For one thing, I felt threatened, and I really wanted to come out and say why don’t you have people with a mask, and of course you think twice and don’t, it’s just done with what you are, get out and not come back and I won’t come back, ”said Saltzer. As for law enforcement, Phoenix police say they are not actively enforcing the mask mandate. She says her job is to educate and inform the public, but doesn’t interfere. She suggests that those affected report this to government regulators such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Other law enforcement agencies are repeating the same idea. “We were never really expected to enforce the governor’s orders, and even during the lockdown period it was always referred to state regulators,” said Medford Police Chief Scott Clauson. Chief Clauson says he is neither for nor against the mandate but will not enforce it. “We’re not going to do everything we can to find these people, we have other crimes that we need to address and respond to and investigate, and that will be our focus,” said Chief Clauson. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, and Lake County Sheriff’s Office are all on the same page. This comes a day after the Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin’s release. Partly it says, “The Douglas County Sheriff’s office will not enforce Governor Brown’s tenure. It’s up to each and every one of us to stay tuned and make our own responsible choices about our health, ”said Hanlin. But for people like Ramona, that decision could be a game changer. “From what I’ve seen and heard hitting your lungs, I mean I’m dead, let’s face it,” Saltzer said. Her message to those who have chosen not to wear the mask: “Think of yourself and your loved ones if you want to see your daughter or wife or mother lying in a hospital bed and you cannot be around” said Saltzer. NBC5 news reporter Jenna King is from Burbank. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in sports business. During her time at U of O, she was part of the student television channel Duck TV. Her passion for sport also grew through an internship at the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom, you can find her searching for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors, or checking out the latest Netflix release. Leave a Comment: Note: By commenting below, you agree to KOBI5.com’s comment policy. See the guidelines for the KOBI5.com comment forum »
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