If approved, measure would call for covering nose, mouth to fight COVID-19
by Larry Chowning –
At a special emergency called meeting on Wednesday, April 29, the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors considered adoption of a countywide “Covering of Nose and Mouth” ordinance.
The lengthy proposed ordinance states, “In order to protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19 . . . all persons are hereby required to wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth (such as a scarf, bandana, handkerchief, or homemade mask from cloth or similar material) at all times when in a public setting,” it states.
It does not include an individual who has a verified health reason that he or she cannot wear a face covering; when driving/riding in a personal vehicle; when alone in a separate single space; when necessary for consumption purposes; when said person has trouble breathing, is unconscious, is incapacitated or is otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance; and infants younger than 2 or children who may have trouble breathing.
If approved, the ordinance shall be enforced by the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. The penalties will include:
- First violation of this ordinance by any person shall result in a warning. The sheriff’s office is directed to keep a record of all individuals who receive a violation of this ordinance.
- A second violation of this ordinance shall result in a fine of $250.
- A third or subsequent violation of this ordinance shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor, resulting in incarceration of up to 12 months and/or a fine up to $2,500, or any combination of both.
If approved, the emergency ordinance is effective immediately and will remain in effect for 60 days unless rescinded by the board of supervisors.
The board of supervisors met to consider this ordinance too late for publication in this week’s Sentinel. The results of the special meeting will be covered in next week’s Sentinel. Check www.SSentinel.com later for more on this developing story.
