Explanation
Due to the ongoing health crisis and public health emergency and to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19, there exists a need for a face covering (mask) requirement in the City of Columbus.
Fiscal Impact: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To require the wearing of face coverings in indoor public spaces in the City of Columbus to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19; to allow for enforcement and assessment of a civil penalty for a violation of said mandate; and to declare an emergency. (REPEALED BY ORD. 0683-2022; PASSED 3/7/2022)
Body
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a strain of coronavirus that can easily spread from person to person. The virus is spread between individuals through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It may be possible that individuals can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the Columbus Board of Health declared a Public Health Emergency due to this imminent threat of an acutely hazardous disease, posing a high probability of widespread exposure to an infectious agent that poses a significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of people, a large number of serious or long-term disabilities, or a large number of deaths, and said Public Health Emergency has subsequently been renewed multiple times and is currently in effect; and
WHEREAS, since early March 2020, the City of Columbus has faced a pandemic that has resulted in extraordinary illness, long-term debilitating effects and loss of life, infecting over 100,000 and causing the death of more than 1,000 Co...
Click here for full text