SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An emergency order for a coronavirus mask mandate is advancing in Sioux Falls.
The City Council voted Tuesday night to send the ordinance on for a second reading on Nov. 10. The mandate would require face coverings in all indoor public places where 6 feet of social distancing isn’t possible.
The proposal comes after weeks of rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 hit a new high Tuesday at 480, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Mayor Paul TenHaken has long said that while he strongly encourages residents to wear masks but he believes any sort of law requiring them would be “unenforceable.”
Curt Soehl, who sponsored the measure, cites the need to relieve public health systems and rises in hospitalizations. If passed Soehl says those who violate the mandate would receive a $50 fine, KSFY-TV reported.
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