After leading his town in a charge against pandemic-era public health restrictions, Mossyrock Mayor Randall Sasser spent six days in a hospital with COVID-19, he told KING 5.
On Wednesday, Sasser told The Chronicle that some city employees are still awaiting their test results and that “things are getting back to normal, slowly but surely.”
While he declined to speak further with The Chronicle, he told KING 5 he spent six days in Providence St. Peter Hospital’s intensive care unit battling double pneumonia, forcing the temporary shutdown of his auto parts store as well as city hall. According to the TV news station, Sasser was unvaccinated, and at least four other city employees tested positive for the virus in the last month.
Back in November, Mossyrock declared it would “not recognize” Washington state’s COVID-19 restrictions, which at the time prohibited indoor dining at restaurants and bars. Sasser acknowledged that the ordinance would not shield businesses from potential fines levied by state agencies.
A month later, the town’s convictions drew in Patriot Prayer and far-right militia group the Washington Three Percenters for a rally against Gov. Jay Inslee and his COVID-19 restrictions. Sasser himself spoke at a Tri-Cities event similarly promoting resistance against public health measures.
And this summer, in an unmasked meeting, Mossyrock’s city council renewed its dedication against public health mandates. On the cusp of festival season, the town adopted a resolution decrying “vaccine segregation,” with Sasser arguing the state should be “opened up fully.”
