A spike in Wuhan coronavirus cases in the Denver metropolitan area forced the city of Englewood, Colorado – just south of Denver – to issue a mask mandate. Those who refuse to comply with the mandate can be issued a lofty fine and sentenced up to a year in jail.
Those inside city limits and over the age of 6 are required to wear masks when:
- Inside a retail business
- Inside a commercial business
- Inside a government office
- Inside a health care facility, hospital, dentist, pharmacy and veterinary office
- While waiting for and riding public transportation (including taxis and ride-sharing services, like Uber and Lyft) and private car service
People are allowed to take their masks off when in a personal office (single room) where co-workers are at least six feet apart and no member of the public is present. The mask is required when in close proximity to co-workers or anyone visiting the business.
Those who fail to follow an order face a $15 fine for the first violation and $25 for every offense thereafter. The maximum penalty, however, is a $2,650 fine, 360 days in jail, or both.
City Manager J. Shawn Lewis issued the emergency order, which the Englewood City Council approved. It went into effect on Thursday.
As of now, the State of Colorado has 36,191 Wuhan coronavirus cases, 5,864 hospitalizations, and 1,724 deaths. Another 327 died with the coronavirus but not as a result of the virus itself.
According to the state's data, whites make up the largest demographic of cases (67 percent). Those ages 20 to 30 are the ones being infected the most. That age range makes up 29 percent of all cases in Colorado.