New mask mandate just went into effect for seven counties, here's what you need to know

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Residents in seven counties here in Ohio are now required to wear masks under Governor DeWine’s new order, which went into effect at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Those counties include Cuyahoga, Butler, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Montgomery and Trumbull. Research shows they were hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.

Masks must be worn in any public indoor space and any outdoor space where you can’t socially distance, like an outdoor concert or crowded event. They must also be worn when using public transportation or ride share services like Uber and Lyft.

“I think it’s good it’s going down. Some people need some guidance and I think it will be very helpful,” Brady Risner said.

“I’m trying to be objective here. I think locally the city and the county are heavily Democratic. It’s all political, it should be voluntary,” said Tom Beharry.

There are exceptions for children under the age of 10, if a person has pre-existing breathing condition, and works in a private office or alone.

However, some questions remain about how the rules will be enforced.

“I think the fewer rules you have would be better than six pages of rules. Then you can enforce just have one or two or three rules that everyone can remember and enforce them,” Joanne Siegel said.

Representatives for both the Cuyahoga County Council and RTA say they have to see the exact outline of the governor’s order before determining what kind of enforcement they’ll use.