Violators of new Edwardsville ordinance can be fined $25 to $500 for not wearing masks
Edwardsville officials are getting serious about their mask mandate.
The City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night that provides a way to enforce a Nov. 17 executive order by Mayor Hal Patton, requiring people to wear face coverings in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The ordinance allows violators to be ticketed by local police and fined $25 to $250. In addition, owners or managers of businesses, stores and venues can be fined $50 to $500 for not enforcing the mandate on their properties.
“This is for the betterment of our society, and I think it is going to in the long run save many lives and protect us,” said Ward 5 Alderman Will Krause. “It is the right thing to do at this moment.”
The vote was unanimous at 7-0, with most aldermen voting via Zoom.
Ward 4 Alderman S.J. Morrison called the ordinance a “common-sense measure.” Ward 6 Alderman Craig Louer said it was “necessary” because some people don’t respect fellow citizens enough to wear masks without a mandate.
“I’d rather be criticized, and we are being subjected to criticism ... I’d rather be criticized for doing this than for not doing this,” said Ward 2 Alderman Jack Burns. “I think it’s very important.”
Four Edwardsville residents spoke out against the ordinance via Zoom or emails read by City Clerk Emily Bates.
Terri Hoedebecke argued that “people should get to make their own decisions” about masks. Beth White said politics has caused government officials to “make up lies” about COVID-19 and that statistics being used to justify restrictions are “unreliable.”
“To make a public mandate and start handing out fines is a ridiculous use of tax dollars and against the Constitution,” she said.
Surge in cases and hospitalizations
Patton declared a local state of emergency at a City Council meeting on Nov. 17. He said the number of COVID-19 cases was increasing at an “alarming” rate in Madison County and hospitals were filling up with patients suffering from the disease.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Patton displayed graphs that showed cases jumping from 221 in October to 793 in November in Edwardsville, 85 to 335 in Glen Carbon and 168 to 673 in Collinsville.
“I’ve talked with the administrator (at Anderson Hospital in Maryville), and it is a very dire situation,” he said.
Madison County Health Department has reported 14,397 coronavirus cases and 258 deaths from COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began in mid-March. That includes 1,802 people with an Edwardsville ZIP code.
As of Tuesday, 94 people were hospitalized with the disease in Madison County, including 15 on ventilators.
Edwardsville Ward 1 Alderman Chris Farrar lent credence to Patton’s concern about local hospitals being able to keep up with demand. Farrar is a doctor at Anderson Hospital who has treated COVID-19 patients in the ICU.
Farrar said patients are sicker and dying at a higher rate than they were in the spring and summer, and that it’s “disheartening” to hear false information being spread by people who oppose restrictions.
“There have been studies showing that counties and states that do have mask ordinances have lower spread of COVID disease,” he said. “This is a horrible disease. It affects so many different organ systems.”
Ward 7 Alderman Art Risavy voiced his support for the ordinance, noting that he and his employees at Swing City Music always wear masks on the job.
Ward 3 Alderwoman Janet Stack, who uses supplemental oxygen due to lung problems, said it’s important for people to cover their faces, not only to protect themselves from the coronavirus, but to show respect for others in the community.
“It’s a simple thing to do,” she said. “It’s something we can do to help each other.”
Masks must cover noses and mouths
On Nov. 24, Edwardsville City Council’s Administrative and Community Services Committee voted to approve an amendment to Chapter 74 of the city’s Codified Ordinances, adding a section titled “Protective Face Coverings Required” based on Patton’s executive order.
The ordinance refers to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois Department of Public Health recommendations for dealing with the coronavirus.
The ordinance requires people to wear face coverings that completely cover their noses and mouths when:
- Shopping or working at retail stores
- Picking up food from drive-thru windows or restaurants offering curbside service
- Visiting health-care providers
- Traveling on public transportation, in taxis or with ride shares
- Interacting with customers, clients, patients or co-workers at public places of business or worship
- Performing services for government agencies that involve human interaction
- Feeling sick, coughing or sneezing
Exceptions include people who are walking, running or otherwise exercising six feet away from others, engaged in activities alone, eating or drinking, as well as children under 2 or those with hearing impairments.
Local police can issue tickets with municipal-court fines of $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second, $100 for the third and $250 for fourth and subsequent offenses, with a possibility of one ticket per day of violation.
Business owners held responsible
The portion of the ordinance dealing with the enforcement responsibilities of owners or managers of businesses, stores and venues is titled “Admission or Service Refusal.”
“(Managers or owners) shall monitor those persons entering and remaining in or on their property, business or office and shall refuse admission, service and allowance to remain in or on their property to any individual who fails to wear a face covering,” it reads.
Local police can issue tickets to managers or owners with fines of $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, $200 for the third and $500 for fourth and subsequent offenses, with a possibility of one ticket per day of violation.
The ordinance also requires businesses to provide hand-sanitizing stations at all entrances and adhere to coronavirus-related occupancy limits set forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The ordinance takes effect immediately and remains in effect until it’s repealed by the City Council.
Patton said the main goal is to slow the spread of the coronavirus without closing businesses, and he knows masks can help after practicing 26 years as a dentist and following guidelines for infectious-disease control.
Patton said the last thing city officials want to do is fine people for non-compliance, so he hopes everyone will comply.
“We’re not interested in money,” he said. “We’re interested in public health.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health has reported 738,846 coronavirus cases and 12,403 deaths from COVID-19 in the state since the pandemic hit in mid-March. There have been 13,653,957 cases and 269,667 deaths in the United States and 63,621,474 cases and 1,475,851 deaths worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 5:56 AM.
