BEACHWOOD, Ohio (WJW)– Beachwood became the latest Ohio city to issue a mask mandate during the coronavirus pandemic.

Beachwood City Council approved a mandate requiring face coverings in indoor areas accessible to the public on Monday.

“This is a public health requirement in the midst of the largest public health crisis of our lifetime,” said Council President James Pasch, in a news release. “There is nothing more important than our health, and science shows that a simple face mask helps blunt the spread of the virus. It is incumbent on all of us, not just to look after ourselves, but also our neighbors, friends and entire community. If we all wear masks, we will all be safer. We must do our small part to save lives.”

Under the Beachwood ordinance, all customers must wear facial coverings while they are:

• Inside a retail business establishment.
• In restaurants and bars when not at their table.
• In office spaces open to the public when they are inside the establishment.
• In any personal care and grooming businesses. While in a personal care and grooming business, “customers may take off their Facial Covering if they are receiving a facial treatment, shave, or other services on a part of the head which the Facial Covering covers or by which the Facial Covering is secured,” according to the ordinance.

There are exceptions to the mandate, which will be posted on the city’s website at a later time.

The city said people not following the ordinance will be subject to a verbal warning, following by an $85 fine.

The measure also grants businesses the right to refuse service to patrons not wearing face masks.

“If you’re outside in Beachwood, running errands or visiting someone who isn’t part of your quarantine household, please: wear a mask,” said Mayor Martin Horwitz. “We want our residents, employees and visitors to stay healthy and wear face masks to promote the continued health of our city.”

Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati already made masks mandatory in public.

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