(WHDH) — Three Massachusetts cities began requiring people to wear face masks in public on Wednesday in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The cities of Cambridge and Lawrence announced that the new order requires anyone over the age of 5 to wear a clean face mask or face covering when in any indoor or outdoor space that is open to the public.
The same order applies for people in Somerville over the age of 2.
Those found in violation of the order will face a $300 fine.
Cambridge and Somerville are giving residents and visitors found with their faces uncovered a one-week grace period before issuing fines.
Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera says his administration “hopes that this face-covering measure helps reduce person-to-person transmission.”
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh says he is not ready to start fining people in the city for failing to wear masks.
“I would hope that we wouldn’t have to start fining people for not wearing masks,” he said. “I would hope that they would use a little bit of their own common sense and understand that their health is more important than not wearing a mask.”
Other Massachusetts communities, including Everett and Winthrop, have already implemented similar orders.
Click here for more coronavirus coverage.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)