South Lake Tahoe approves fines for mask violations in a bid to slow COVID-19 spread
The South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday authorized fines for people and businesses who violate California’s mask rule to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the infectious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
The City Council directed the city manager to issue an emergency order that authorizes administrative fines for violations of the statewide mask order, city officials announced in a news release Tuesday night.
The fines will be up to $100 for people who refuse to wear a mask and $500 for businesses who fail to comply with the mask rule. The emergency order will go into effect Friday.
On June 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide mandate that requires Californians to wear masks in all indoor public spaces to slow the COVID-19 spread.
The mask rule requires face coverings in taxis and rideshare vehicles, public transit, standing in line to enter a building or walking through hallways, stairways, elevators and parking garages, along with outdoor spaces where people can’t maintain 6 feet of distance from one another.
“We will continue to enforce the governor’s order,” South Lake Tahoe Mayor Jason Collin said in the release. “Not wearing a mask, not socially distancing, is a blatant disregard for the safety of people who live and work in our city.”
The City Council on Tuesday also discussed a influx of tourists and increased littering as local residents speak out against visitors who won’t wear masks or leave trash behind. Local waste-management agencies say they’ve had to bring in additional large trash bins to barely keep up.
The city has partnered with South Tahoe Refuse. City officials said STR has agreed to work with the city’s ambassador program to post signs on locked, commercial bins and help pick up trash in public areas.
City Manager Joe Irvin said people should not leave behind any trash, “whether this is their home or they’re just visiting.”
“We live in a beautiful pristine environment,” Irvin said in the release. “We owe it to each other, and the place we call home to keep Tahoe safe, clean, and open.”
City crews will place digital message boards at both ends of the city to alert local residents and visitors of the new mask fines and efforts to stop littering.
