Masks are no longer optional in Columbus.
Beginning on Friday, the city will mandate face coverings of both the mouth and the nose in public spaces in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Andrew Ginther announced on Thursday.
“I know masks are uncomfortable. I know they’re hot, and friends I know we are fatigued from months of fighting the spread of COVID-19, but we can’t let up now,” Ginther said in a Thursday press conference.
The ordinance will require masks to be worn in situations where the virus likely spread such as inside stores and businesses as well as city buildings, public transportation, or “any outdoor place where or when a person is unable to maintain physical separation of not less than six feet from others who are not members of their own household.”
Any violators could face an $85 fine.
Columbus joins fellow Ohio cities Dayton and Bexley in instituting a mask mandate in public spaces.