Alexandrians may have to be more diligent about wearing masks when outdoors.
The City Council will be considering the introduction of an ordinance that will extend the Governor’s face covering requirement to outdoor spaces where social distancing is not possible. The City Council may introduce the matter at the Tuesday evening, Sept. 8 meeting and have a public hearing to accept testimony on the ordinance on Saturday Sept. 12.
In the past few months, several news organizations have posted photos of lower King Street crowded with restaurant patrons and shoppers while not maintaining physical distancing. The majority of people do not wear masks outside.
The proposed ordinance language read, in part, “While the Governor of Virginia has issued Executive Orders to try to alter the community’s behavior to combat the pandemic, it is difficult for the Commonwealth as a whole to address the needs of a specific community like Alexandria. Governor Northam issued Executive Order 63 (EO 63) requiring that face coverings be worn while inside certain buildings, the City of Alexandria with this ordinance would be expanding the areas where face coverings are required and would implement a local mechanism to achieve compliance of the requirement. While physical distancing is still the most important mechanism for stopping the spread of COVID-19, wearing a face covering when those distances cannot be maintained is an important safety measure that must be also increasingly utilized.” (Read the full proposed ordinance language here.)
The proposed ordinance may include a fine of up to $100, but emphasizes voluntary measures for compliance first.
Alexandria city employees involved in encouraging compliance would have free masks they can provide to residents, and those costs for staff time and masks would be funded by CARES Act money.
While in many areas masks are seen as a political statement, health experts have determined that wearing masks can not only protect people from spreading COVID-19, but also may make cases of COVID-19 less severe for the wearer.
The type of mask does matter: The mask should have more than one layer and fit over the wearer’s nose and mouth snugly. Masks with vents or valves are not recommended, as they filter air coming in but not going out and thus do not protect other people from asymptomatic carriers.
