Here’s what we know about proposal to make masks mandatory in Akron

Sean McDonnell
Jalal Jwayyed, 21, of Copley talks about wearing a mask on Tuesday June 30, 2020, in Fairlawn. The city of Akron is considering a measure that would make masks mandatory in public for most people.

Columbus and Dayton are requiring residents to wear masks, and Akron may soon do the same.

Akron Councilwoman Tara Samples is drafting an ordinance that would make masks mandatory in the city. If it passes City Council on July 13, she said it could go into effect as soon as the mayor signs it.

Samples said the ordinance is a work in progress, and she will add some language from Dayton’s ordinance.

What would mandatory masks look like in Akron? Here’s what’s known so far.

What kind of mask?

Residents wouldn’t have to buy a medical mask.

A “mask” would include face coverings that cover your nose, mouth and chin, and could be made of cloth or other materials. Samples said makeshift masks, like bandanas or scarves, could be used.

Where would I have to wear it?

Masks would be mandatory in a lot of places, but not everywhere.

The ordinance would make it mandatory in any public space, including an office, library, store or any public building. It would be mandatory outdoors too, but only in groups larger than state restrictions.

Masks would not be required when you’re eating or drinking in a restaurant or bar.

There also would be situations in which a mask is a safety hazard, or against industry standards. Cooks, for example, can be exempt from the state’s mask order for safety reasons.

If someone is working alone in an assigned work area, they would be exempt under Akron’s proposal as well.

The current version of the Akron ordinance states that if there is a functional or practical reason for a person not to wear a face mask, they’d be exempt.

In Dayton’s ordinance, walking or exercising outdoors, as long as proper social distancing is maintained, will not require a mask. Neither will people actively engaged in exercise at a gym or recreation center.

Swimming exempts you from wearing a mask, as does getting dental services or medical treatments, according to the Dayton ordinance.

Who is exempt?

If wearing a mask is unadvised for health reasons, the mandatory mask policy wouldn’t apply under Akron’s proposal.

Under Dayton’s ordinance, the requirement wouldn’t apply for people in these situations:

• Anyone who can’t wear a mask because of a medical condition, mental health condition or developmental disability, or who is unable to remove the face covering without assistance does not have to wear one.

• Children under 6 years old would not have to wear one. People in schools would be exempt from Dayton’s rule and instead follow guidelines from the Ohio Department of Education or their governing bodies.

• First responders such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other public safety personnel will not have to wear masks under Dayton’s ordinance.

• People also will not have to wear masks when inside a vehicle.

The penalty

A dollar amount hasn’t been set under Akron’s proposal, but not wearing a mask could hurt you in the pocketbook.

In Dayton, violating the mask ordinance could lead to an $85 fine. Although Akron’s proposal does not specify a dollar amount yet, Samples said it could be $50.

“There has to be some kind of penalty, or why would somebody even care?” Samples said.

The Akron ordinance would make a violation a minor misdemeanor. Mayor Dan Horrigan said enforcement is one of the intricacies that would need to be figured out before moving forward.

It’s unclear how policing the policy would work, but it could likely be more education than enforcement.

Police had the option of charging people who violated Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order with a second-degree misdemeanor, but Akron police said at the time it would issue more warnings than anything else.

Court records show that throughout the stay-at-home order, Akron police did not charge anyone with violating the order.
