City may require mask-wearing

A proposal to put some teeth into the wearing of masks goes before the Garden Grove City Council when it meets on Tuesday.

The council will consider a resolution requiring that ­ – in view of the rising number of coronavirus infections– visitors to, and residents of, Garden Grove wear a face covering when they are in “high-risk situations” within city limits, as described by the California Department of Public Health (see below; that list is partial).

Failure to comply would be considered a misdemeanor and subject to an administrative citation issued by an “enforcement officer.”

The CDPH guidelines cover situations such as:

• Inside, or in line to enter any indoor public space;
• Obtaining healthcare services in settings including a hospital, medical clinic, laboratory, physician office, veterinary clinic or blood bank;
• Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service or ride-sharing vehicle;
• Engaged in work (at the workplace or off-site) when interacting in-person with any member of the public, and/or working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether any member of the public is present at the time;
• Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;
• Working or walking through common areas, stairways, elevators and parking facilities;
• While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible.

Exemptions include (but are not limited to):

• People with medical conditions or disabilities that prevents them from wearing a face covering;
• People younger than 2 years old;
• People dining at a restaurant where they are eating or drinking, provided they maintain a distance of six feet from others not part of their household;
• People engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, hiking, bicycling or running, when alone or with household members and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.

The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. via teleconference.

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