Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz on Thursday issued a declaration that residents of Toledo should wear masks while in public.
Although the mayor’s declaration does not carry the force of law, according to a release from his office, his hope is that it will compel Toledoans to begin wearing masks as a health necessity. Toledo City Council is working on a possible ordinance that would make wearing masks mandatory, as other cities in Ohio have already done.
The declaration allows for some exemptions, including medical conditions, children younger than 6, or the need to communicate via lip-reading with someone who has a hearing impairment. Wearers may remove the covering to eat or drink.
The declaration comes the day after Ohio experienced one of the largest spikes to date in coronavirus cases.
“The increase in Covid-19 cases requires us to take this important action to protect our residents and our businesses,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “Masks will save lives, and every day matters. Given the choice of a mask or the risk of hospitalization and further economic pain, I am certain Toledoans will choose to wear a face covering.”
Per the declaration, residents should wear face coverings, over the mouth and nose, in enclosed areas with others. This includes grocery stores, retail stores, pharmacies, health care facilities, libraries, bars, restaurants, and while using public transportation.
The city, along with the local and state health departments, and the CDC, strongly recommend the wearing of masks at any public place.
Brian Fink, professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Toledo, said requirements to wear masks can be difficult to enforce, but he and other public health experts agree that masks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus by helping to block droplets from people’s noses and mouths.
With airborne spread having now been identified and studies showing that using masks can prevent thousands of deaths, Mr. Fink said wearing masks is critical at this point in the pandemic.
“Even if we could get 80 percent of people wearing masks, we could cut down the deaths by tens of thousands in the next couple of months,” he said.
First Published July 9, 2020, 4:10 p.m.
