FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): With an increasing number of businesses requiring patrons to wear face masks, and opposition along with misinformation increasing on social media, WOWO News talked to area law enforcement about the mandates.
Though there is no law on the books that mandates mask wearing, individual businesses are private property, and can require masks to be worn. They can enforce this rule by either asking customers to put a mask on, or if they refuse to not enter or leave the business.
Customers who refuse can be arrested by law enforcement for criminal trespassing, which could land them in jail if the business decides to prosecute. The misdemeanor charge carries both jail time and a steep fine in both Indiana and Ohio.
Sergeant Sofia Rosales-Scatena tells WOWO News that Fort Wayne Police are not fielding calls about non-mask wearing people, however, police will respond to all trespassing calls.
Paulding County Ohio Sheriff Jason Landers said that his department has not seen any calls related to mask requirements in businesses there.
Although neither Indiana nor Ohio have statewide mask mandates yet, and are leaving that decision to local leaders, individual counties within both states do. The mask mandates are part of guidance set down by the CDC to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Those unable or unwilling to wear masks can use online and curbside delivery options.
6 comments
So many different types of masks, people not wearing them correctly, and ZERO PROOF that they help anyway.
There should be no mandate.
I don’t think there should any place to force you to wear a mask. It should be up to the individual if they want to or not. This is another way to control people and its not right.
the land of the free
…unless a health emergency is declared.
Most grocery store curbside deliveries have a minimum amount you have to purchase to use the feature. I never spend that much at one time. I’m just glad there are still some places refusing to follow the order. I have to wear a mask for 10 hrs a day in 100 degree high humidity temperatures. I refuse to wear one a second longer than I have to.
This is the difference between liberals and conservatives. Liberals don’t have a problem giving up their rights “for the common good.” They’re government controlled sheep. In their mind, the government is always right. History has taught us (who actually learned from it) that governments are as powerful as we allow them to be. The more powerful the government, the less free the people. Communism, socialism, and tyranny comes to mind. The Constitution is to keep the power away from the government and give it all to The People.