ODESSA, Texas ( Big 2 / Fox 24) – Odessa city council is now extending the Mayor’s mask mandate as the pandemic rages on. The mandate will be in place for another seven days. Odessans have mixed reactions on this mayoral declaration being extended, but one thing they said they can agree on, is to get a hold of this pandemic.

Odessans like Richelle Smith, who’s teacher at ECISD thinks this step could at least slow the spread and keep educators like her safe.

“If you’re going to walk around without a mask you’re also putting other people in danger as well,” Smith said. “If you’re a business and you want to stay open, I think you should honor what the city is asking you to do and you should also be responsible enough to protect your customers.”

Other Odessans like Jamie Lujan think the mayor should not be stepping on local business owner’s toes.

“The mayor can’t tell other businesses how to run their business,” Lujan said. ” They’re some businesses that aren’t going to comply with that because it is there own business.”

Even though Lujan thinks a mandate violates his personal freedoms, he still carries a mask with him when he’s out in public.

“If I’m going to support a local business and that local business says you know, sir can you put on your mask, out of respect yes I would.”

But while Ector County has seen 151 deaths and over 9,000 cases, Odessans like Pamela Peterson think this mandate has come too late.

“I think lives should be the number one thing to get this issue resolved, instead of trying to operate a business to make a few dollars when we’re losing millions of individuals behind it.” Peterson said.

Now that this mandate has gone into effect, Odessans like Smith hope the community will protect eachother.

“This whole thing has just blown out of complete proportions that no one could ever think of,” Smith said. ” So let’s keep our children safe, lets keep our community safe. “