Ohio's Cuyahoga County has set up a hotline to report people who are violating Gov. Mike DeWine's order that face masks must be worn, The Hill reported on Sunday.
The county, which includes Cleveland, announced the hotline over the weekend after DeWine issued the order earlier in the week mandating masks in the state's 12 counties with the most coronavirus cases.
County Executive Armond Budish explained that county employees will get in touch with the subject of each complaint to let them know that one has been filed against them and will also inform the relevant city or village, Cleveland.com reported.
"This is not intended to be going out and finding people not wearing masks," Budish told Cleveland.com. "We want people to wear their masks … We want people to do it voluntarily."
However, if the county receives repeated or serious complaints, the Sheriff's Department could investigate those incidents or file charges.
Those violating the order will face a second-degree misdemeanor charge that would be punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine, according to The Hill.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from a previous version.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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