Mandatory Mask Mandate In Lorain County: What To Know

AVON, OH — A mandatory mask mandate will go into effect in Lorain County on Friday at 6 p.m.

The mandate says masks must be worn in all public indoor locations, when sharing a vehicle with someone outside your household, and outdoors if you are unable to maintain 6 feet of distance from another person.

The mandate does not apply to children 10 and under and does not apply when diners are seated at a table in a restaurant. The mandate will remain in effect until Lorain County's spread of COVID-19 decreases. Counties are reevaluated every Thursday by the Ohio Department of Health.

While the mandate goes into effect on Friday, it's unclear how enforcement will work. The Lorain County Sheriff's office said they would not respond to calls about people not wearing masks.

"Until we receive clarification and direct instructions on enforcement of this order, we can not respond to all calls of this nature. Please do not overwhelm your law enforcement jurisdictions dispatch center with calls related to this order until we have that clarification," the office said on social media.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Lorain County had been named a "red" or "Level 3" county for its COVID-19 spread. This means there is a "very high exposure and spread" of the virus locally.

Besides the mask mandate, Lorain County residents are asked to:

• Limit being out as much as possible
• Decrease in-person interactions with others
• Travel only when necessary
• Avoid social gatherings of any size
• Limit unnecessary visits to hospitals, nursing homes and residential care facilities
• Avoid contact with people considered "high-risk" (older adults, people with medical conditions)
• Contact a doctor if anyone in your family begins showing symptoms of COVID-19

According to the Ohio Department of Health, over the past 14 days, Lorain County has confirmed more than 160 cases of COVID-19. More than 90 percent of the new COVID-19 cases do not come from congregate settings (meaning nursing homes or prisons).

Outbreak sites in Lorain County have recently included a child care center, workplaces and a faith-based organization, the Ohio Department of Health said.

The community is also seeing signs of increased demand on health care systems. Emergency room visits related to COVID-19 doubled from 3 per day on June 14 to 6 per day on June 29. Outpatient visits have also increased locally.

The full Lorain County profile from the Ohio Department of Health is available online.