GUTHRIE, Okla. (KFOR) – One metro city is taking their “Stay-at-Home” order to a new level.
Starting at midnight April 7, masks are now mandatory in Guthrie when residents are in public.
City leaders say personal responsibility isn’t cutting it, and because some aren’t listening on their own, new orders are needed.
“If the people won’t do it themselves, I guess we have to,” said one Council Member Monday.
The Mayor, Steven Gentling, says in Guthrie, more needed to be done.
“This is very serious. People are dying, people are being put in the hospital…It’s here, it’s now, it’s real, it’s a part of history,” said Gentling.
Gentling is taking the CDC’s recommendations of wearing masks in public one step further.
“We’re saying it’s a mandate to wear the mask,” said Gentling.
He says when you go out for essential errands, like grocery shopping or going to the pharmacy, your mouth and nose should be covered.
“A T-shirt, to a bandana, to a handkerchief, to multiple layers of material,” said Gentling.
Gentling says if you can’t have “personal responsibility”, Guthrie police are fully prepared to help you comply.
“There is accountability, and we’re here to say if you’re not going to be accountable…You’re disobeying our ordinance and there can be fines involved,” said Gentling.
The mayor says wearing the mask isn’t just about protecting you, but also for a greater good.
“You can be asymptomatic. You may feel very, very healthy but you could be a carrier and spreading it to a lot of different people,” said Gentling.
If you’re caught without a mask, Guthrie police will first try to educate and ask you to wear a mask. If you still do not comply, you could be cited, but it’s still unclear how much the ticket will cost.
“There’s no excuse for trying to keep the health and safety of yourself and your fellow citizens.”
If you don’t have a mask or don’t know how to make one, follow the CDC’s recommendations here.
