St Pete mandates masks: Rick Kriseman tells businesses ‘Don’t expect to receive just a warning’

As protesters take to the street and Florida reopens many businesses, the rise in coronavirus testing has led to more positive cases and prompted St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman to announce the city will mandate that employees wear face masks in all businesses in the city beginning Friday.
“Don’t expect to receive just a warning,” Kriseman said in a direct call to business owners and managers during a Wednesday Facebook Live address.

“Violation of this order is a municipal offense and could result in financial or business operation related sanctions.”

Customers are encouraged to report non-compliant employees to the city, by emailing [email protected] or call the St. Petersburg Police Department’s non-emergency line at 727-893-7780.

Complaints will be forwarded to the appropriate departments for enforcement action.
Kriseman is also asking businesses to implement a “no mask, no service” policy for patrons.

He expects to have a citywide order in place soon to move that suggestion to a mandate.

Kriseman said the draft ordinance is still being written and doesn’t expect it to go into effect before this weekend, though he said refusal to wear a mask in public is a minor inconvenience compared to the deadly burden some could be faced if the novel coronavirus lands them on a ventilator.

Rick Kriseman

Full coronavirus data (via DOH) for Pinellas County:

Total Cases: 2,684
Residents: 2,629
Residents Not in Florida: 0
Non-Residents: 55

Conditions and Care
   Deaths: 110
Hospitalizations*
Residents: 483
Non-Residents: 17
Demographics of Cases

Age:
Age Range: 0 to 102
Median Age: 45

Gender:
Male: 1,094  (
42%)
Female: 1,533 (
58%)
Unknown/No data: 2 (<1%)

Race:
Black: 666  (
25%)
White: 1,314  (
50%)
Other: 147  (
6%)
Unknown/No Data: 502  (
19%)

Ethnicity:
Hispanic: 233  (
9%)
Not-Hispanic: 1,777  (
68%)
Unknown/No Data: 619  (
24%)

Image/CDC

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