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19 Jun, 2020 03:02

California governor makes masks MANDATORY to stop Covid-19, raising questions about enforceability

California governor makes masks MANDATORY to stop Covid-19, raising questions about enforceability

California Governor Gavin Newsom has said that all citizens will need to wear masks in public settings to fend off the coronavirus, though many are wondering how such a rule can be enforced.

“Together – we can slow the spread. Do your part. Wear a mask,” Newsom tweeted on Thursday.

According to updated policies from the California Department of Public Health, face masks are now required for most outdoor settings, any situations that do not allow for social distancing, and for employees of any business interacting with the public. 

While the move has drawn support from some lawmakers and even former California governor and Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, who called it “100 percent the right move," many have cast doubt over whether it’s possible to implement the measure.

“This is unenforceable,” ‘Full Metal Jacket’ actor and California resident Adam Baldwin said in a now-deleted tweet.

It’s a sentiment that has been repeated on social media as the practicality of requiring masks has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, and Newsom provided no specifics on enforcement.

Videos on social media have displayed customers around the nation outraged when their business is turned away by an establishment requiring face protection to shop.

The short history of police enforcing coronavirus measures is already controversial, and the issue has become even more problematic in light of the mass protests against police brutality that typically see demonstrators ignoring social distancing guidelines.

Also on rt.com No mask, no service: American Airlines bans #WalkAway founder for not complying with Covid-19 rules

An NYPD officer was relieved of duty last month after a video surfaced showing him slamming a suspect to the ground who was seen breaking social distancing rules.

Philadelphia officers found themselves in hot water the month prior when video showed them dragging a man off of a public transit bus for not wearing a mask. 

At the same time, multiple videos and photos taken at protests over the death of George Floyd have revealed that the majority of demonstrators are not social distancing and far from everybody is wearing masks.

And even if those protesters all decide to go along with the new measure, plenty of Newsom critics have been quick to let him know they have zero intention of wearing face masks in public.

California has thus far suffered more than 5,000 deaths from Covid-19 and recorded more than 160,000 cases. 

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