Berrien County Sheriff’s Department To Continue Educating Residents About Mask Rule

berriencountysheriffdept-61
berriencountysheriffdept-61

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says it will continue to educate and warn residents about the importance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Following the governor’s new executive order that requires everyone to wear masks and also requires businesses to refuse service to those without masks, the sheriff’s department says the order has ten exemptions. One of those exemptions, as the department has previously told us, is if an individual cannot medically tolerate a face covering. However, there’s no requirement that such an individual show any proof they have a need to not wear a mask. Therefore, the sheriff’s department says it can only encourage individuals to voluntarily comply with the order as written and wear a mask when entering an indoor public space. In a statement, it says as “we have from the beginning we will continue to educate and warn individuals and will only take enforcement action if necessary to provide for the safety of the public.”

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department’s full statement is below:

 

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office will continue to educate and warn individuals who may not be complying with the current Executive Order 2020-147 regarding wearing a mask in an indoor public space.

The current Executive Order lists ten exemptions where the requirement to wear a face covering does not apply to individuals.  One of these exemptions is if an individual cannot medically tolerate a face covering, but the order does not specify what that means or require the individual to show any proof.

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging individuals to voluntarily comply with the order as written and wear a mask when entering an indoor public space.  As we have from the beginning we will continue to educate and warn individuals and will only take enforcement action if necessary to provide for the safety of the public.  The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office is appreciative of the measures local businesses are taking to protect their patrons and for the cooperation of individuals during these difficult times.