Civil penalty is a good idea - but people need to know what is required by public health orders. What is the current order about wearing a mask in public (not in a store)? What is the current public health order about wearing a mask at work (not at home)?

When in doubt, wear a mask and socially distance! If you want to flatten the curve, save lives, and get to the point where we can safely loosen restrictions, then I suggest erring on the side of caution. Please, follow all the guidelines we’ve been hearing about constantly for months any time you are outside your home.

14 pages of legalese to say "please wear a mask". Yay California bureaucracy.

Hefty fines punish the poor and will, like all laws, be disproportionately enforced against people of color. Everyone should at least consider these points before endorsing draconian measures that empower the State to punish otherwise law-abiding citizens. (The argument that "masks save lives" is irrelevant to the points above.)

This is part of what I said in my letter to the Board: "The proposed ordinance, as written, is not adequately clear on the rules that will be enforced as far as the general public is concerned. Specifically, it refers (under Definitions) to "All County Health Officer or State Public Health Officer orders relating to the COVID-19 pandemic". As I'm sure you know, rules interpretation on the part of the public varies widely among individuals, and it doesn't help if the County is not crystal clear on what is required for compliance. The County website says the following about face mssks: "Face coverings: Everyone must comply with the Face Covering Guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health, which requires most people to wear a face covering most of the time whenever they leave home." How do you enforce something like this when it lacks specifics? For example, do those passing others quickly pose the same risk as those gathering? If you fail to physically distance, who is responsible among multiple people (given that the distance is the same for "offender" and "victim")? Are those running, biking, or performing other exercises outdoors required to wear masks? Is there a distinction between indoors and outdoors? As it is, people are having public arguments about what the rules are. Adequate clarification around the rules must come first, before putting teeth behind official enforcement."

Why not do the REAL right thing.

Take these people under protected custody on the basis that they are pose a threat to themselves and others. The website called the Treatment Advocacy Group found here (Web Link describes the criteria for involuntary civil commitment as:

“California has civil commitment laws that decide when involuntary treatment (also known as “court-ordered treatment”) is appropriate for individuals with severe mental illness who are too ill to seek care voluntarily.

To qualify for mandated treatment in a hospital or other inpatient facility, the person must be:

DANGEROUS TO SELF/OTHERS; OR

unable to provide for basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter.”

Thus, quarantine them long enough to test them for COVID and prove they are not infected. This should be done by house confinement.

Since this is not arrest, there is no criminal or civil penalties, thus the only process is to ensure they stay home, get there tests done, and if they have members in the home, either self isolate of require the members be confined and tested too.

This process WILL protect people, unfortunately whether they like it or not. But it is allowed, remember Typhoid Mary? She was confined until she was determined not to be a risk to others. This is within the Public Health protection requirements under state and federal laws.

Please address what needs to be done and get our acts together?

@bkengland Good letter. To answer your question: "How do you enforce something like this when it lacks specifics?" Even with specifics, it will left to the selective judgement of sworn peace officers (MVPD).

Right on, @SRB. I did cover that point elsewhere in my letter.

"Peace officers". LOL!!

Perhaps the reason there is no "control" over the spread of the virus is because arbitrarily locking businesses down, thus arbitrarily and remorselessly driving people into poverty, and slamming innocent citizens with insane fines for walking a dog outside on a goddamn sidewalk because idiotic busy-bodies can't sleep at night without calling "peace officers" on kids playing basketball doesn't "control" a virus at all. So we've gone from locking down to flatten the curve, to locking down until tests are available, to locking down now under penalty of "peace officers" until there is NO MORE VIRUS! A very predictable evolution of know-nothing beurocratic overreach. We flattened the curve and saw we didn't need hospital beds in parking decks or floating on NYC's east river. You have a higher risk of dying getting fatally smacked on your bicycle by a Tesla in Mountain View than you do from dying of the 'Rona. Case increases or not. [Portion removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]

Enforcement will promote our changes in our behavior, i.e. masks and distancing. Review the statistics for Asian countries, where the populace practice these behaviors rigorously, especially China where it all started and has a population of 1.4 B and a case rate of 59/1M pop, compared to America with a case rate of 16,000!

At least we all don't have to wear gloves, yet.

Communist dictatorship China (pardon - only comrade-for-life) is not a fine example. But what about MADD? Driving Under The Influence fines and "enforcement" was lax, and death rates high, until that 'medical problem' with alcohol was uniformly not-ignored by law 'enforcement'.

Death rates high from COVID-19? Get mad that simple Mask Enforcement is lax! Simitian, in the end, showed he really has no spine on this incredibly important Public Health issue. $0, $25 ?!