MEMPHIS, Tenn. — If you go to public places in Memphis. be sure to have your mask on - or you are subject to some strict penalties.
Thursday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland officially signed the face covering/mask ordinance that Memphis a city Council passed last Tuesday. The move comes as cases in Shelby County continue to rise.
If you get caught without your mask on in Memphis, the first offense is a warning, the second one is community service, and repeat offenders could have to pay $100.
The goal of the ordinance is to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but also to ensure all people are protecting themselves and others.
“The more you can protect yourself, the better. Now the penalties, I think that’s a little much, the community service and $100 fine,” said mother of four, Brittany Dillard. “I understand them wanting people to wear a mask though. So they are like, if we put these things in place, maybe people will take it more seriously.”
If you receive two offenses for not wearing a mask, the next violation could be a $100 fine. Some residents think the ordinance is needed because people have gotten too comfortable.
“Seems like people have kind of let up. It seems like once we went to Phase 2 and almost Phase 3, it seems like people were deciding, okay, if we are allowed to do something, we are just going to do it now,” said Peter Winterburn who lives in Memphis
Face coverings are not required for children ages 2 or younger, and they are not required in your personal office or during outdoor recreation like walking or biking.
As of Thursday, there have been more than 8,600 reported COVID-19 cases in Shelby County since the beginning of the pandemic. People we spoke to in Memphis say this ordinance could help offset the numbers.
“I sure do hope so. You know I’m not an epidemiologist, I don’t know the medicine on it, but I think it will,” Winterburn explained.
This ordinance also exempts people who have a doctor’s note or if the mask poses a risk to your health.
