Residents in Riverside County, CA could face a fine of $1,000 per violation per day if they don’t abide by the mandate to wear a face mask while outdoors. The county has had 1,016 confirmed cases and 28 deaths so far.
“While more and more Riverside County residents are getting COVID-19, not everybody’s getting the message,” said Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser in a statement Saturday. “It started with staying home, social distance and covering your face. But now we change from saying that you should to saying that you must.”
“This is a valid order and enforceable by fine, imprisonment or both,” said Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco in a Monday video statement. “However, I need to make it perfectly clear to all residents of Riverside County we will not be setting up a police state and this is not a declaration of martial law in Riverside County. While this order does have potential criminal and civil consequences, that is the last thing I want to happen while we deal with this crisis,” Bianco added.
Bianco said he preferred that county residents abide by the facemask mandate voluntarily.
