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Mayor’s new mandate means it’s ‘Mask-up Monday’ in the city

By Ellen Wagner
Mayor Jamael Tito Brown on the lawn at MYCAP on the cityâs near Northside,annouced the masks must be worn in the city. He said the Health Dept and YPD will be the enforcement.Mayor Tito Brown and Erin Bishop Health commissioner.
Mayor Jamael Tito Brown on the lawn at MYCAP on the cityâs near Northside,annouced the masks must be worn in the city. He said the Health Dept and YPD will be the enforcement.Mayor Tito Brown and Erin Bishop Health commissioner.

YOUNGSTOWN — The city of Youngstown and the Youngstown Health Department will help local businesses adjust to wearing mandatory masks.

Mayor Jamael Tito Brown announced Friday that masks will be mandatory in public spaces starting Monday in Youngstown. The mandate includes all indoor public settings and outdoor public settings where 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained.

Brown said Gov. Mike DeWine has given mayors permission across Ohio to implement things that will help their community to move forward. About 60 percent of the population in Ohio is in the red according to the Ohio Public Health Advisory System.

"Our governor, unlike other governors across the nation, has encouraged mayor's to take bold initiative steps," Brown said.

3rd Ward Councilwoman Samantha Turner said city council supports mandating masks in the city.

"We must protect ourselves and protect the community during this time of uncertainty," Turner said, noting the move is an important step in keeping case numbers down. "We [must] get behind the mayor in this action and all the conversations he's having with the health department and our county commissioners."

Brown said the city received 34,000 masks from Proctor and Gamble to help local businesses, organizations and citizens prepare for the mandatory rule.

Local businesses or organizations can contact the health department to obtain masks at the start of the mandate. Health Commissioner Erin Bishop said her department will deliver bags of masks on Monday and Tuesday to city businesses who request them.

Bishop said before the mandate, there was nothing they could do when people would complain about people not wearing masks.

"So with [the mandate], now we're able to go out on those complaints," Bishop said.

The health department and the Youngstown Police Department will work together to enforce the mask mandate. Masks are required anywhere that is in the city of Youngstown from stores to offices to courtrooms, Bishop said.

At the Mahoning County jail, Sheriff Jerry Greene said masks have been mandated since mid-April.

Brown said there will be small, civil penalties for violating the mask mandate. If necessary, the city will consider possible criminal penalties.

Eddie Moses, co-owner of V2 Wine Bar and Trattoria, said there has been a mix of people coming in with or without a mask.

"It's all over the board," Moses said. "You don't know which way it's going to go."

He said he hopes the mask mandate is something people will follow to protect workers and others in restaurants.

This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Mayor’s new mandate means it’s ‘Mask-up Monday’ in the city."