PEABODY — The city of Peabody became the latest North Shore community requiring persons entering places of essential business, and employees of those businesses, to wear protective face coverings.
The Board of Health issued an emergency order that went into effect Wednesday.
Violation of the order is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.
“We hope this is something we don’t have to enforce and that people will comply on their own,” said Health Director Sharon Cameron. “This is more of a directive to give people who are working in essential businesses the tool to keep employees safe. We are working actively to make sure that employers are protecting their employees. We just hope people will understand the importance of these safety measures.”
The Swampscott Select Board and Board of Health passed an order during an April 10 “emergency” meeting requiring people to cover their mouths and noses when entering public places, such as grocery stores, takeout restaurants and other similar businesses. The order went into effect April 12 and also prohibits improper disposal of personal protective gear..
Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee issued two executive orders Saturday, April 11 that instituted a 9 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew as well as requiring mandatory protective face coverings beginning Sunday, April 12. The order applies to anyone entering an essential business, and employees of essential businesses. It also applies to all areas where social distancing is not possible.
Saugus, Lynnfield Revere, Nahant and Marblehead have advised their residents to wear protective face masks while out in public, but have not yet issued mandatory orders.
Cameron stressed that the public should be mindful that there are people who, due to medical conditions, cannot don facial protection.
“In those cases, people are advised to keep their social distance,” said Cameron.
The order also mandates the proper disposal of all items of personal protective equipment or other potentially virus-contaminated items, joining both Lynn and Swampscott which have similar mandates.
The Peabody order states that failure to comply will be punishable by a fine in accordance with either the state nuisance statute or the city code as a trash/littering offense under local law.
“We have had many complaints from supermarkets and we needed to make it clear that people need to be mindful of others, especially those who have to pick up after them,” said Cameron.
The face mask order applies to grocery stores, farm stand stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores, banks, ice cream manufacturers/dairies, government agencies, liquor/beer/wine stores, convenience stores, takeout restaurants and other similar businesses.
The order also applies to employees of essential businesses that are open to the public; persons who deliver food (including take-out) or other goods if there is face-to-face contact. It also applies to any persons entering or exiting the common or communal areas of a residential or commercial building complex with more than one unit.
The order states that the Board of Health is taking the action, “in order to take additional measures to protect the public health during the COVID-19 public health emergency in light of current conditions, including an expected surge in COVID-19 cases.”
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which announced Wednesday morning that it will now be releasing weekly town-by-town data on the number of reported coronavirus cases every Wednesday, there were 227 confirmed cases in Peabody as of April 15. Cameron said the death toll as of Thursday, April 16 was up to 17. According to information posted on the city’s website, all of the victims were over the age of 70 with 14 of them over the age of 80.
To read the full text of the order, go to https://www.peabody-ma.gov/health/face%20coverings%20order%20approved%204-13.pdf.
