Van Wert community discusses Ohio statewide mask mandate

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a statewide mask mandate on Thursday, July 23.

The order will be enforced by local health departments.

Paulding county.

Our friends over in ohio are a bit ahead of us here in indiana.

Thee had their statewide mask mandate in place for four days now, and theye still adjusting.

Fox 55 caleb saylor spent time in van wert talking to people about the mask mandate and how county officials are dealing with enforcement.

Just like it has elsewhere, masks have become a necessity in v n wert as ohio statewide mask mandate went into effect thursday.

Now people are having to make adjustments to their routine.

For not much n, it of a change.

She likes the mandate and has been wearing a mask frohere start were times where i was the only person, like in one of the stores, that i saw with a mask on, take just can that chance at my age.

Osborn called the mandate horrible, but feels judged if she does wear a mask.

Eople have to take their own judgement on whether or not theye going to wear one, but my statement is i feel like i have to wear one because everyone else is staring at me if i not, but i agree it should not be law enforced.

This was the sentiment of van wert county sheriff tom riggenbach.

He said in a statement on the night before the mandate went into effect his order is a health-related order that falls under the jurisdiction of the local health department.

The van wert coun office will not be enforcing this order...if someone is violating the health order, please contact our local health department for mask compliance complaints.

According to britt menchhofer with the van wert health depa what people are e receving more than a dozen mask related calls a day, but tmostly about businesses and not individual people.

Know if we e specifically rece calls about businesses not requiring people to wear masks.

I know at least today, i had, i think i took three different calls about business wearing ren masks.

Pena ty written into ohio mask mandate, but the van wert county health department is working with the state and the local prosecutor to see their options.

Right now though, the only thing they want spreading is information about why mask wearing is good ?our main goal right now is to educate, not be the heavy hand here.

We just want to educate the public and our local community members.

Saylor, fox 55 news there are a number of health exceptions to the mask mandate in ohio, so sheriff riggenbach is encouraging people to not assume s wearing a mask bec want hey don to and to be kind and be courteous to one another, as we all go through this together.