Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont is set to sign an executive order Tuesday that will impose a $100 fine on residents who break the state’s mask mandate.
Lamont’s order, which goes into effect Thursday at midnight, makes Connecticut one of the few states with mask mandates that issues fines to violators, according to an NBC report. (RELATED: Joe Biden Calls For Three-Month National Mask Mandate)
Before the executive order the only penalty police could impose on a person breaking the mandate was to issue a misdemeanor, Josh Geballe, the state’s chief operating officer, told The Hartford Courant.
Connecticut is cracking down on coronavirus-related violations through a series of new fines aimed at residents who flout the state’s masking and gathering mandates. https://t.co/FPV4iCHmtG
— Hartford Courant (@hartfordcourant) September 14, 2020
“There wasn’t really much that was being done, because many people viewed [a misdemeanor charge] as excessively harsh for failing to wear a mask if you couldn’t socially distance,” Geballe told The Courant. “So they asked for this new tool, an infraction that was a bit of a step-down enforcement.”
“It’s come up over and over again, to the point where we felt it was an appropriate thing to do,” Geballe said.
The executive order will also fine individuals $250 for going to indoor events with over 25 people or outdoor events with more than 100. Individuals found to be organizers of these events could be fined $500 dollars, per the report.