Knox County will begin enforcing Governor Holcomb's mask mandate

Enforcement will be focused on bars and restaurants through health inspections.

Good evening and thank you for joining us.

I'm rondrell moore.

And..

I'm patrece dayton.

Covid-19 cases are spiking around the wabash valley.

That's led health and government officials to reevaluate some restrictions.

This includes knox county.

News 10 bureau chief gary brian tells us what residents in knox county need to know.

Gar} "as covid-19 cases spike in the community, knox county's covid-19 response team is meeting more frequently and assessing how to handle the situation.

This has led to some changes."

The county will lead off those changes with enforcing the governor's mask mandate.

This will primarily be in bars and resturants.

Right now the health department does regular health inspections.

Now during those inspections the department will check to make sure employees are wearing masks.

Not wearing them could result in a violation.

A continued violation could result in a fine.

But the county plans on helping businesses enforce the mandate on customers coming into their businesses.

"law enforcement could be called and the person would be asked to leave the premisis.

This would not be a ticket or a fine for not wearing a mask, it would be a trespass.

Where the store owner would ask for the person to be removed from their property and law enforcement would be consent with that."

Social gatherings will be limited to 50 people.

County schools have been placed in a yellow designation.

Because of this... there will be an increase in social distancing and mask wearing.

The county's moves come after the county has reached over 900 cases of the virus.

18 new cases were reported friday.

The spike in the county has begun taking it's toll on health care workers.

"the large numbers in our community.

The stress on the hospital as well as the health care providers who have been working, many of them 60 hour weeks since march.

We need to do something in our community to attempt to decrease the numbers of positive of active covid cases."

Gar} "the covid-19 response team will now hold weekly meetings.

Working from home in vincennes, gary brian news 10."

News 10."

Gary brian vincennes, home in working from meetings.

Working from home in vincennes, gary brian news 10."

Governor news 10."