Masks are mandatory in Pennsylvania. How is the order being enforced in State College?
To ensure the health and safety of residents and essential workers, all Pennsylvanians must wear face masks while inside businesses, but State College Borough officials said enforcing the order is a “balancing act.”
Last week, Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine signed an order that directs businesses to protect their workers by providing masks to employees and makes wearing them mandatory for staff and customers.
The order went into effect 8 p.m. Sunday.
“This order will ensure continuity across all life-sustaining businesses and will further our efforts to protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians,” Levine said. “Together, we can all help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
Gov. Tom Wolf has directed the state Liquor Control Board, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and Industry, police and local officials to enforce orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses are required to deny entry of individuals who are not wearing masks, unless the company is providing medication, medical supplies of food. In those cases, the business must offer pick-up or delivery services.
Weis Market, Walmart and Sheetz are among stores that have taken steps to notify customers about the mandate.
“If a store is regularly not following that, then local officials might give a warning, and we’ll see if there are continued problems with that, but we expect Pennsylvanians to do the right thing,” Levine said.
State College Borough Communications Specialist Douglas Shontz said local officials have taken an “education-first” approach to the order.
“We want to make people make the right decisions on their own,” he said. “We do have the ability to enforce some of these things, but first and foremost, we want to talk, whether it’s a business owner, a manger or resident and try to get them to voluntarily comply with the order.”
To report a business failing to comply with the state’s order, residents are asked to contact the public health department or call the non-emergent police line at 234-7150
“It’s investigate, discuss and the last part of it is the legal part,” Shontz said. “It’s really an education-first, community-focused approach.”
