Fines are being used to enforce coronavirus mask ordinances in two Bay State cities.
Somerville and Cambridge are requiring all who are venturing out in public within their city limits to wear a face covering, starting on Wednesday.
The penalty for non-compliance? $300.
“Not everyone who has COVID-19 shows symptoms. You can be carrying the virus and infecting others without knowing,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. “No one wants to be the one who infected the grocery store clerk, or the hardware store stocker, or the family out for a stroll. Wearing a mask is one way to avoid that.”
There will be a one week grace period starting on Wednesday, April 29th. However, after that period, city officials say “persons showing willful disregard, may be subject to a written warning or a $300 fine.”
The order applies to those aged 2 or older in Somerville, and those over the age of 5 in Cambridge.
